There he goes again.
Ridley Scott has never been one to hold back in interviews, and his latest appearance at a BFI retrospective this weekend was no exception — once again showcasing just how unfiltered (and inflated) his ego can be.
When asked what recent films had caught his eye, Scott’s response was classic Ridley: why bother with anyone else’s work when his own films already represent the pinnacle of cinema?
The quantity of movies that are made today, literally millions globally, and most of it is sh*t. So what I do, and it’s a horrible thing, but I’ve started to watch my own movies, and actually they’re really good! And also, they don’t age.
He added having recently rewatched “Black Hawk Down” and was amazed at his own work, adding that it’s a relief when a genuinely good movie comes along.
I get it. Scott directed “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” he’s somewhat allowed to gloat, but has there ever been a filmmaker more in love with himself than this guy? Scott once said “I don’t do mediocre,” but does he have it in himself to admit that “Someone Watch Over Me”, “White Squall,” “A Good Year,” “Body of Lies” and “Robin Hood” stink?
Whether he’s calling “Gladiator II” “the best film I’ve ever made,” or “G.I. Jane” as “The Best Pro-Women Film Ever Made,” dismissing superhero movies as “boring as sh*t” or proclaiming “I’m expensive, but I’m good,” his interviews are always a joy to read.
Scott has always thrived on audacity — the swagger, the self-belief, the conviction that no one can build a world quite like he can. It’s part of what makes him an interesting filmmaker and insufferable in equal measure. But maybe that’s the secret to his longevity: a man so convinced of his own genius that he keeps chasing it, film after film, decade after decade — whether we’re still buying it or not.
Now 87, Scott has just wrapped production on The Dog Stars — an apocalyptic sci-fi epic starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, and Guy Pearce — slated for release in 2026.