Renowned filmmaker Ridley Scott isn’t holding back his views on Hollywood’s current state. During a frank discussion at the British Film Institute on Sunday, the 87-year-old director of classics like Gladiator, Alien, and Blade Runner described most modern films as “mediocre.” He admitted to rewatching his own classics, not out of vanity, but due to sheer disappointment.
“The sheer number of films produced today, globally — millions, not just thousands — and most are garbage,” Scott stated candidly in a conversation with his son, director Luke Scott, as reported by Metro.
The Oscar-nominated director criticized the industry’s creative decline, attributing it to an overuse of digital effects and spectacle overshadowing meaningful storytelling.
“Many films today are salvaged and become costly due to digital effects, because they lack a solid script from the start. Get it on paper first,” he advised.
Although Scott acknowledged, “occasionally a good film emerges,” he believes the overall quality of cinema today signifies a creative downturn, stating, “We’re drowning in mediocrity.”
When asked about his comfort film, Scott confessed, “It’s terrible, but I’ve started watching my own movies, and they’re actually quite good. They don’t age.”
A recent viewing of his 2001 war epic Black Hawk Down left him amazed at the craftsmanship.
“How did I manage to do that?” he laughed.
Despite his criticism of modern cinema, Scott shows no sign of slowing down. He’s recently completed production on The Dog Stars, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama starring Jacob Elordi, marking another genre venture in his six-decade career.
Fans of his iconic Roman saga have more to look forward to — Scott disclosed he has begun writing a third Gladiator film, further expanding the universe he first created in 2000.
