'We’re drowning in mediocrity': Ridley Scott slams modern cinema

Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott is not mincing words when it comes to his opinion of the current state of Hollywood. In a candid conversation at the British Film Institute on Sunday, the 87-year-old director behind Gladiator, Alien, and Blade Runner called most modern movies “mediocre,” revealing that he’s recently taken to rewatching his own classics — not out of vanity, but out of sheer frustration.

“The quantity of movies that are made today, literally globally — millions, not thousands — and most of it is s**t,” Scott said bluntly during the discussion with his son, filmmaker Luke Scott, as reported by Metro.

Recommended For You

Tom Cruise to receive honorary Oscar in career first

Shah Rukh Khan makes history as first star with Dubai skyscraper named after him

UAE weather: Temperatures to drop; cloudy day expected

India: New Delhi car bomb accused appears in court

Dubai seizes 519 vehicles, 12,367 cylinders for illegal LPG filling, distribution

 

The Oscar-nominated director lamented what he sees as a growing creative decline across the industry, blaming an overreliance on digital effects and spectacle over substance.

“I think a lot of films today are saved and made more expensive by digital effects, because what they haven’t got is a great thing on paper first. Get it on paper,” he said.

While Scott acknowledged that “occasionally a good one will happen,” he argued that the overall quality of cinema today feels like a creative downturn, adding, “We’re drowning in mediocrity.”

When asked about his comfort film of choice, Scott admitted, “It’s a horrible thing but I’ve started watching my own movies, and actually they’re pretty good. And also, they don’t age.”

He said a recent rewatch of his 2001 war epic Black Hawk Down left him marveling at the craftsmanship.

“How in the hell did I manage to do that?” he laughed.

Despite his criticisms of modern cinema, Scott shows no signs of slowing down. The veteran director recently wrapped production on The Dog Stars, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama starring Jacob Elordi, marking yet another genre leap in his six-decade career.

And for fans of his iconic Roman saga, there’s more on the horizon — Scott revealed he has already begun writing a third Gladiator film, further expanding the world he first brought to life in 2000.

Husain Rizvi

husain@khaleejtimes.com

Husain Rizvi is a Senior Features Writer who covers entertainment and lifestyle stories and has a profound interest in tech (games) and sports. When he’s not working, you can find him at the gym, or finishing a boss fight in a video game.