Every Ridley Scott Movie Ranked Worst To Best

7. Black Hawk Down (2001)

Even in Scott's most misplaced historical epics, it tends to be the action sequences that have the most longevity in memory, so it should come as no surprise that his take on the claustrophobic Battle Of Mogadishu made for such compelling viewing.

Black Hawk Down is the archetypal modern war film, positively dripping in tension with an embarrassingly talented cast (some of whom would go on to be major stars, like Tom Hardy) who sell the ordeal of the characters incredibly well. The action is real, the stakes incredibly high and the threat impossible to resist, and there is an unflinching account of the violence involved that is as grim as it is important.

It might have been criticised for its political messages - particularly as close after 9/11 as it came out - but all-told, it's one of the finest modern war films made to date. The huge cast means there's little room for character development, but the whole thing is emotional propaganda, and you're able to emphatically care about the characters even with only a snap-shot of their lives offered through their actions.