The king of sci-fi movies officially returns to theaters in 1 month, after 9 years away from the genre

Looking back over his career, Ridley Scott might be most remarkable for his complete inability to stay in any kind of lane. While there are a number of other filmmakers like Steven Spielberg who don’t stick to a single genre, Scott’s filmography encompasses and even occasionally helped to define horror, science fiction, military drama, historical epics, black comedy, and neo-noir. It’s bizarre to realize that the same person directed both Alien and Thelma & Louise.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s first film, and Scott himself turns 89 in November. With his 30th film coming to theaters in one month’s time, the director is returning to one of his greatest genres: science fiction. That makes now the perfect opportunity to revisit some of his best sci-fi work from the past half century.

1

Alien (1979)

There’s no reason not to start here. Alien hit several different genres like a bomb, and we’re still living in its blast radius. While James Cameron’s sequel, Aliens, redefined modern action movies and games, Western horror as a genre has never quite left the dark corridors of the Nostromo.

Whether it’s Brian Yuzna splatterpunk, omnipresent slasher villains, or any film set in a building that’s 90% dark corridors, Alien‘s influence is still felt today. While modern Alien films have an admittedly low hit rate — even when Scott himself is making them — the original is a stone cold classic. If you haven’t seen it, you should.

2

Blade Runner (1982)

As we’ve moved further into the 21st century, cyberpunk as a genre has had a visible resurgence. It’s tempting to credit this to Cyberpunk 2077 and Edgerunners, but looking back, there was a steady flow of cyberpunk stories beforehand: Altered Carbon, Almost Human, Upgrade, several episodes of Black Mirror, arguably Person of Interest. It turns out that a genre characterized by transhumanism, corporate overreach, and rogue AI has a lot to say about life in the 2020s. Go figure.

There’s room to discuss what the truly foundational works of cyberpunk actually are (William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Snow Crash, that one Billy Idol album, etc.), but Blade Runner is going to be on most of the better lists. Anecdotally, it’s a divisive movie; you’re either going to love it or be bored by it, with little middle ground.

Due to executive meddling, there are at least seven distinct edits of Blade Runner in circulation, some of which are distinctly inferior. If you’re trying to watch Blade Runner in 2026, make sure to track down Scott’s own Final Cut as the definitive edition of the film.

3

Gladiator (2000)

Image: DreamWorks Home Entertainment

There’s something about the historical epic film that encourages people to make them cornerstones of their personality. Master and Commander, Braveheart, and Titanic are maybe the three best-known examples, but Gladiator is well up there. If you were around in 2000, you likely knew at least one person who developed a borderline unhealthy interest in the Roman Empire and it was all down to this film. This sounds less like a recommendation and more like some kind of hazard warning, but rest assured: Gladiator is a legitimately great film and deserves your attention. (And yes, I’m aware this isn’t a sci-fi movie, but it’s technically illegal to write a list of Ridley Scott movies and not mention Gladiator.)

4

The Martian (2015)

Photo: 20th Century Fox

It’s hard to believe it’s almost been 11 years since The Martian came out, although the recent popularity of Project Hail Mary may confuse that timeline a little. Both films are based on novels by Andy Weir, and both involve a single astronaut frantically employing improvised science and competence porn to stay alive. While The Martian doesn’t have any cute aliens, it’s a pure science thriller that takes full advantage of Scott’s decades of directorial experience.

5

The Dog Stars (2026)

Scott’s latest film stars Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin as two survivors of a deadly pandemic. While this may sound like it’s going to be yet another meditation on the COVID years, The Dog Stars is based on a 2012 novel by the American writer Peter Heller.

Hig and Bangley live in an abandoned airport in Colorado, in the wake of a flu outbreak that’s wiped out most of the rest of the human race. Most of the other survivors are roaming, half-feral scavengers. When Hig receives a transmission over the radio, he’s willing to risk everything to try to find some kind of better life.

The Dog Stars is set to premiere in theaters on August 28.