He's been nominated for Best Director multiple times, but it's surprising that Ridley Scott doesn't have an Oscar to his name just yet. The legendary filmmaker is responsible for classics such as Alien, Blade Runner, The Martian, Thelma & Louise — and the list goes on. It's clear, then, that Scott has dabbled in a variety of genres, including crime dramas and even dark comedy.
Meanwhile, his Hollywood partner-in-crime Russell Crowe has won back-to-back Academy Awards, and we can't wait to see what's next for both Hollywood powerhouses. Here's a closer look at their collaborations over the years, ranked from worst to best.
5 A Good Year (2006)
It may come as a shock to Ridley Scott fans that he chose to direct a sort of "off brand" movie like A Good Year. But with Crowe taking the lead role, who knows? Well, though it's based on an acclaimed novel by Peter Mayle, the end result wasn't exactly a success. But that's not to say Crowe is reliably solid as Max, a former London banker who ultimately lands at a lovely vineyard he inherited in Provence. The best scenes come at the beginning of the film, where we see Max in action as a banker who calls his employees "lab rats."
4 Robin Hood (2010)
The Robin Hood legend is always fun to explore on the big screen, and Scott's version with Crowe, Robin Hood, in the titular role certainly has its moments as a sort of gritty action flick. Perhaps it could have been more of a success with a hard R-rating, but oh well. Scott's version was also a bit shrouded in controversy upon the film's release, as Crowe had walked out of an awkward press interview after being accused of making Robin Hood sound Irish. Nevertheless, the film is still worth a tune-in for the committed performances and adventurous storyline that makes the Hood legend a constant interest across a variety of media forms.
3 Body of Lies (2008)
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Sure, a black-haired Leonardo DiCaprio as a CIA agent investigating a terror organization may have been the initial appeal of Scott's political thriller Body of Lies, but it is Crowe who saves the day as a wise-cracking family man — who is also Leo's partner-in-crime in a way. Their on-screen chemistry is terrific, even when the convoluted storyline loses traction along the way.
"[DiCaprio] has matured considerably in terms of his intellectual outlook and what he understands about the world. And that's wonderful — that's reflective in his work," Crowe once told MTV about DiCaprio's work. "He always was a wonderfully instinctive performer, as his work as a young man attests. But it's been great for me, because you have that connection to someone that you worked with, and when you see them flare and mature and handle great commercial success and not let it destroy them, and then come up with the performances given in the past few years like and in this — it's been great."
2 American Gangster (2007)
Next on our list come the universally acclaimed collabs from Scott and Crowe. Ranking at No. 2 is a crime drama that's based on the true story of drug trafficker Frank Lucas, American Gangster. Alongside Denzel Washington in the titular role is detective Richie Roberts, an aspiring attorney whose name seems like it was ripped right out of a Marvel comic. The remarkable component of this fascinating story is how Roberts went on to defend Lucas in court. The dynamic between Washington and Crowe makes Scott's 2007 film a must-see.
1 Gladiator (2000)
And then, of course, comes the Best Picture Oscar-winner, Gladiator — although Scott walked away from the 2001 Academy Awards empty-handed, having lost out at Best Director to double-nominee Steven Soderbergh (Traffic). Joaquin Phoenix also stars in Gladiator alongside Crowe as the evil emperor-in-training. Widely considered one of the greatest historical epics in cinematic history, Gladiator features some breathtaking visuals and jaw-dropping fight scenes that will leave you wanting more.
"One of Ridley’s unique changes right at the beginning was adding that second act, when you find Maximus sold as a slave at the edge of the Empire," Crowe once told Variety, regarding Scott's rewrites of the original script, which was seen as mediocre at first. "That second act gives the whole journey a much more epic quality. That’s the best way to approach making a movie — when you get to evaluate what you’re capturing and work to the strengths of that. It’s a very risky way to make a movie, though."
And since we're left wanting more after the first Gladiator, it's great news that a sequel is in the works, which The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal recently joined in addition to Paul Mescal (Aftersun).