Ridley Scott Thinks Modern Movies Are “S**t,” but He Couldn’t Be More Wrong

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Ridley Scott, the director behind iconic films like *Alien*, *Gladiator*, and *Blade Runner*, is known as a highly respected filmmaker. However, he’s also been critical of contemporary cinema. Speaking at the British Film Institute in London on October 5th, Scott bluntly dismissed most modern films. While everyone is free to have an opinion, his assessment seems overly harsh. He could have used the occasion to celebrate recent successes, such as *One Battle After Another* and *Oppenheimer*, instead.

Ridley Scott Admits He Mostly Watches His Own Films


Paramount Pictures

While speaking at the British Film Institute Southbank, Ridley Scott criticized recent Hollywood movies. Tori Brazier, writing for *Metro* and present at the event, reported that Scott stated:

So many movies are made worldwide now—literally millions, not just thousands—and unfortunately, most of them aren’t very good.

While Ridley Scott is a talented director, he’s clearly not an expert in film statistics. Recent data from the World Intellectual Property Organization and Omdia shows that 9,511 films were made globally in 2023 – the most in twenty years, since data collection began. This makes Scott’s claim of ‘millions’ of films a significant overestimate. Despite this, he continued to share his opinions on the problems with Hollywood, seemingly more focused on promoting himself.

Many movies rely too much on digital effects to cover up weak storylines. It feels like there’s a lot of just okay content out there right now. I’ve even started rewatching my own films, and I’m surprised by how well they hold up – they seem to be better than a lot of what’s being made today, and they still look good.

Scott often rated movies using percentages, claiming only 10% were good and 5% were truly great. However, considering the sheer number of films made today, these percentages seem unrealistic. For example, if even 5% of a million films were considered great, that would equal 50,000 movies – far more than were actually produced last year.

Seems Like the Director Missed the Decade’s Best Films

I get what Ridley Scott is saying about movies relying too much on effects these days, and he’s spot-on about some films rushing into production without being fully prepared – I heard the same thing about the new *Avengers* movie! But honestly, I think he’s being a little harsh and dismissive of a lot of really great films that have come out since 2020. It feels pretty cynical to just write them all off.

Recent films have found success in different ways. The Academy Awards recognized films like the funny *Everything Everywhere All at Once* and the intense *Oppenheimer* with Best Picture wins. Popular superhero movies such as *Superman*, *The Batman*, and the animated *Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse* have also been huge hits. And some films, including *Sinners*, *Top Gun: Maverick*, and *Conclave*, have managed to stand out as original while still achieving mainstream success in Hollywood.

Honestly, I’ve been really impressed with some of the newer directors lately – it makes me think things are actually looking up! Take Zach Cregger’s *Weapons*, for example. It’s a really fresh horror film that does some cool things with its structure. And Jane Schoenbrun’s *I Saw the TV Glow*? It’s a fantastic blend of horror and teen drama, and it really tackles some interesting themes around gender identity. Then there’s Celine Song’s *Past Lives*, her first movie – it’s a romance, but it’s got a surprisingly complex emotional core, way beyond your typical love story.

It’s not simply that Ridley Scott is out of touch with modern audiences. Directors his age, like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, have continued to create excellent films recently – think of *The Fabelmans* and *Killers of the Flower Moon*. Unlike Scott, Spielberg seems optimistic about current filmmaking, even recently giving praise to the upcoming 2025 film *One Battle After Another* instead of criticizing movies as a whole.

Maybe He’s Caught Up in the Mediocrity of His Modern Flops


Apple TV+

Ridley Scott’s recent films suggest he’s lost touch with what makes a movie truly successful. His last few projects haven’t performed well – *The Last Duel* failed to recoup its significant $100 million budget, as reported by *Box Office Mojo*. *House of Gucci* suffered from weak performances by actors like Al Pacino and Jared Leto, despite Scott being the director. *Napoleon* was overly long and costly to produce. While *Gladiator II* isn’t terrible, it doesn’t live up to the quality of the original *Gladiator*.

Ridley Scott’s upcoming movie, The Dog Stars, is a thrilling story set after a global pandemic. Based on the novel by Peter Heller, the film follows a pilot struggling to survive, and features Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Benedict Wong, and Guy Pearce. It’s scheduled for release on March 27, 2026, and fans are hoping it lives up to expectations – some are even suggesting it could be a deciding factor in whether Ridley Scott continues directing.

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2025-10-11 01:18