Top Gun to Domino: Every Tony Scott Movie Ranked

Unlike his big brother Ridley, Tony Scott may not have an Alien, Blade Runner, or Gladiator in his filmography. That said, he enjoyed a far more consistent career until he died in 2012 at 68.

A master of employing MTV-style visuals and edits to heighten the action-packed narrative at hand, Tony Scott took viewers from the Pacific Ocean's depths to the stratosphere's heights over nearly 30 years, rarely losing sight of entertaining storytelling in the process.

To honor this great filmmaker who left us far too soon, find here every Tony Scott movie, ranked.

1. Spy Game (2001)

Robert Redford mentors essentially a younger version of himself in Brad Pitt. This timeline-hopping CIA story expertly weaves in background information and propels the plot forward as much as the present-day maneuverings. It also features a perfect use of Dire Straits' “Brothers in Arms.”

Scott's active camera moves so constantly that it seems like he wanted to one-up Ridley's Gladiator from the year before. It's all here, and the seamless synthesis of these exciting parts results in a minor miracle.

2. Man on Fire (2004)

Scott's best collaboration with his best actor finds Denzel Washington in full command of his talents as an alcoholic CIA operative turned child bodyguard. The rich use of Debussy's “Clair de Lune” alongside some of the director's most epic imagery borders on overwhelming, and Christopher Walken's delivery of “Creasy's art is death. He's about to paint his masterpiece” induces goosebumps just thinking about it.

3. Crimson Tide (1995)

Scott's tense submarine thriller and first collaboration with Gene Hackman or Denzel Washington also marks a turning point for his visual style, which shifted into a higher gear and stayed there for the rest of his career. Viggo Mortensen and James Gandolfini anchor a good supporting cast, but the two leads pulled in the audiences, and they both deliver. Besides what's at #1, it's Scott's most impressive actor pairing.

4. Enemy of the State (1998)

A welcome holiday season surprise, this paranoia thriller finds Gene Hackman back in The Conversation mode, co-starring with then box-office-king Will Smith, who again hits another level of charm alongside crusty older white dudes. The Who's Who of side players, which includes Jon Voight, Barry Pepper, Lisa Bonet, Regina King, Gabriel Byrne, James Le Gros and levity from funnymen Jason Lee, Jack Black, and Jamie Kennedy, also doesn't hurt.

5. Deja Vu (2006)

Arguably Scott's most misunderstood film also marks his only effort to embrace science fiction. The implementation of cutting-edge tech used to try and prevent a deadly domestic terrorist attack yields heart-pounding action, while the bond between Denzel Washington's ATF agent and Paula Patton's potential bombing victim might be the most heartfelt relationship crafted under the director's guidance.

6. Unstoppable (2010)

Scott's final film may sit firmly in his wheelhouse, but it's also the precise kind of throwback action movie that Hollywood rarely makes anymore. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine excel as mismatched railroad employees attempting to keep a runaway train carrying toxic materials from derailing in a populated area, and the thrills keep on coming even for viewers aware of how this fact-based story ends. It's a shame we weren't treated to at least another decade of Scott at his peak.

7. Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)

One of the all-time great underrated sequels, Scott upgrades the series' technical elements but otherwise does the right thing and lets Eddie Murphy be Axel Foley. Back with John Ashton's Taggart and Judge Reinhold's Rosewood, the funniest man alive elicits laughs nearly on par with that of the Martin Brest original.

8. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009)

Nobody asked for another version of Joseph Sargent's gritty 1974 subway heist thriller, but there's little to complain about when Scott's behind the camera and with Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzmán, John Turturro, and James Gandolfini clicking on all cylinders. If only all remakes were this inspired.

9. Top Gun (1986)

One of the iconic '80s action flicks and by far Scott's most famous film, the director's sophomore effort made Tom Cruise a superstar, brought heart-pounding stunts to the skies, and produced one of the all-time great needle drops in its use of Berlin's “Take My Breath Away.” Its middling 2022 sequel, Maverick, exists firmly in the original's shadow.

10. The Hunger (1983)

Awkward the way only certain early '80s films can be, this vampire romance is nevertheless one heck of a feature debut. Along with inspiring strong performances from Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon, Scott already shows himself capable of delivering the visual skills that will soon establish him as one of the greats.

11. Revenge (1990)

In this Mexico-set adultery Tony Scott movie thriller, Kevin Costner plays yet another variation on his usual flawed but virtuous hero type. Madeline Stowe makes a case for one of cinema's all-time beauties as Costner's love interest, while a baby-faced John Leguizamo reminds viewers that we were all young once.

12. The Last Boy Scout (1991)

Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans exhibit winning comedic rapport in one of Scott's wackier efforts, elevating a decent Shane Black script with their distinct oddball charisma. No one will ever look at helicopter blades the same way again.

13. Days of Thunder (1990)

Made in the days when average Janes and Joes could still afford to attend NASCAR events, this auto racing flick — improbably written by Chinatown's Robert Towne — gifted viewers such names as Cole Trickle, Russ Wheeler, Rowdy Burns, Buck Bretherton, and Harlem Hoogerhyde, plus plenty of other details for Talladega Nights to parody. It's also where Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman fell in love, so offer an extra “thanks” because, without this oddity, there'd be no Eyes Wide Shut.

14. The Fan (1996)

The intersection of Wesley Snipes as a Barry Bonds type slugger and Robert De Niro as an overly invested San Francisco Giants fan starts in promising fashion. But much like the steroid-aided real-life baseball player's legacy, this thriller almost entirely falls apart in its messy, embarrassing second half.

15. True Romance (1993)

As Natural Born Killers would verify the following year, this overrated slog proves that Quentin Tarantino should always direct his own scripts. Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, Samuel L. Jackson, and numerous other famous supporting players make this one of the all-time great ensembles. But their various permutations produce minimal sparks, and neither Patricia Arquette nor Christian Slater can handle QT's dialogue. Scott's fingerprints barely register on this one.

16. Domino (2005)

The lowest-rated film Tony Scott movie by Rotten Tomatoes standards (18% “Fresh”) earns that reputation thanks to a miscast Keira Knightley as Domino “Daughter of Lawrence” Harvey's model turned bounty hunter. Flashes of the director's signature style are present but barely elevate Richard Kelly's sloppy writing.