This week we got the latest from director Ridley Scott, a biopic on Napoleon that figures to be a major award contender this year. In honor of the release, I’m ranking Scott’s feature films since 2012. The director has been going strong across six decades now, but he’s made eight feature films since 2012. Below is my take in ascending order.

No. 8: The Counselor (2013)
About: This crime drama has a stunning cast led by Michael Fassbender. The pieces were in place for something interesting, but it just didn’t work out that way. This film was just OK.

No. 7: All the Money in the World (2017)
About: This biopic on Getty was fraught in production as Christopher Plummer was a late substitution for Kevin Spacey. It also came against some competition as we got a mini-series version, too. Despite a good cast, this film just doesn’t quite click.

No. 6: Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
About: This film was a biopic of sorts, capturing a Biblical tale of Moses and bringing it to life. It features Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton, and it seemed like a potentially fun big-scale epic. But it’s a little more fizzle than sizzle on the screen.

No. 5: Prometheus (2012)
About: This is a sequel to Alien, returning Scott to the director’s chair on his first huge film. The script from Damon Lindelof and Jon Spaihts moves in some unique directions. I like the look here and the cast does a nice job.

No. 4: House of Gucci (2021)
About: The second of Scott’s films released that year, this was a high-profile biopic featuring Adam Driver and Lady Gaga. There are some great moments in this and some good performances. Then there’s whatever Jared Leto is doing. This movie is interesting but doesn’t quite deliver on some of its potential.

No. 3: Alien Covenant (2017)
About: This is the second of the modern Alien films from Scott, and I like it a touch better. The story comes together in a more satisfying way while we get a great performance from Michael Fassbender here. This is one of the more under-rated films in Scott’s recent work.

No. 2: The Last Duel (2021)
About: This one had a strong cast and an interesting premise. Matt Damon is solid in the lead role, and I liked Jodi Comer as well. But one of my favorite performances is from Ben Affleck in a strange and fun supporting role. This was another film I thought was under-rated.

No. 1: The Martian (2015)
About: Based on the novel from Andy Weir, this film sees Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded in space. It’s an engaging story with a great cast. I love the lead performance and the way the film comes together. This is my favorite of Scott’s recent films by a wide margin.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.