4. Top Gun (1986)
Easily the most iconic, recognisable and popular of any of Scott's films,
Top Gun was a major commercial success, and though its critical reception has never been as strong, it is a culturally relevant film that has endured over the last 26 years. It also helped majorly introduce audiences to the phenomenon that became Tom Cruise, and the film, with its recognisable aesthetic and visual palette, has influenced action films ever since. While Scott insists that the homosexual subtext was not intentional, the brilliant monologue that Quentin Tarantino wrote for the film
Sleep With Me cuttingly and hilariously provides a convincing reading of the film in this manner. At the time of Scott's death, a sequel to Top Gun was in the works, and at the time of press, it remains unclear what will happen with the project. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning one for Berlin's thoroughly iconic tune "Take My Breath Away".