Hollywood suffered a massive blow with the death of Tony Scott in 2012. After making his big-screen debut with the stylish vampire film The Hunger in 1983, Scott slowly built up his reputation as one of the most entertaining filmmakers of all time. He directed a slew of box-office hits, including such iconic movies as Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, Days of Thunder, Spy Game, and many more.
At the time of his death in 2012, Scott was working on a drama called Emma's War set in the Middle East. While the film continues to languish, here are Tony Scott's 10 best movies according to Rotten Tomatoes!
Man On Fire (2004) 39%
Tony Scott directed Denzel Washington five times from 1995 to 2010. One of their collaborations includes Man on Fire, a vengeful crime picture co-starring Christopher Walken and Dakota Fanning.
Adapted by Brian Helgeland from the A.J. Quinnell novel, Man on Fire tracks former CIA agent John Creasy (Washington) now working as a bodyguard for a powerful family in Mexico. When the family's young daughter Pita (Fanning) is kidnapped, Creasy takes it personally as he mounts a plan to get her back.
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) 43%
Following the success of Top Gun in 1986, Scott followed it up by working with Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop II. The film went on to gross roughly $300 million in global ticket sales.
Upon returning to the 90210 zip-code, fast-talking Detroit police officer Axel Foley (Murphy) reunites with L.A. cops Taggart (John Ashton) and Rosewood (Judge Reinhold). This time their out to catch a perpetrator known for the "Alphabet Crimes," a series of violent robberies taking place in the glitzy neighborhood.
The Last Boy Scout (1991) 46%
Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans play a pair of unlikely partners in The Last Boy Scout, an action-comedy that turned its $30 million budget into a $60 million worldwide haul.
Joe Hallenbeck is a disgraced ex-cop working as a private investigator in Los Angeles. When Joe fails to protect a female witness (Halle Berry) from harm, her death prompts her boyfriend, a former NFL star Jimmy Dix (Wayans), to help Joe discover the culprit. They uncover a vast conspiracy involving crooked a politician and owner of an NFL team.
The Hunger (1983) 52%
Scott made his feature directorial debut via The Hunger in 1983, a ravishing tale of vampirism starring Catherine Deneuve, Susan Sarandon, and David Bowie.
Miriam (Deneuve) is an ancient vampire living off the lifeblood of human victims who do not age until she's through with them. Her latest victim, John (Bowie) has fallen out of favor with Miriam and has just 24 hours to live. John seeks advice from Dr. Sarah Roberts (Sarandon), leading to a sensuous love-triangle between all three.
Top Gun (1986) 54%
Scott soared to unparalleled popularity in the wake of Top Gun, a bonafide smash hit that cost roughly $15 million to make and earned north of $350 million internationally.
Tom Cruise stars as Maverick, aka Pete Mitchell, a hotshot fighter pilot earning his stripes at an elite training academy. As he tries to win over his classmates and establish superiority by earning the Top Gun trophy, Maverick also strikes up a romance with Naval official Charlie (Kelly McGillis).
Spy Game (2001) 66%
Scott directed Brad Pitt and Robert Redford in Spy Game, a tale of international espionage that scored more than $143 million in worldwide grosses.
The plot follows Nathan Muir (Redford), a veteran CIA agent on the brink of retirement. When Nathan learns his mentee, Tom Bishop (Pitt), has been arrested in China and charged with espionage, he forgoes retirement and sets out to rescue Tom from captivity. While doing so, Muir ruminates on the training he provided Bishop in the past.
Enemy Of The State (1998) 72%
Will Smith headlines a massive A-list ensemble in Enemy of the State, a thriller that challenges the U.S. government's increasing infringement on personal privacy.
When the murder of a high-powered politician is accidentally caught on videotape, the evidence unwittingly makes its way into the hands of New York lawyer Robert Dean (Smith). The NSA works to ruin Dean's life until he hands over the tape. Along the way, Dean finds help from former NSA employee Brill (Gene Hackman).
Unstoppable (2010) 86%
Scott's final film was the 2010 release of Unstoppable, which marked the fifth collaboration between the director and Denzel Washington. Despite an underwhelming take at the U.S. box-office in relation to its budget, the film became an international hit while landing Scott some of the best reviews of his career.
When a runaway train full of toxic chemicals begins picking up steam en route to a densely populated Pennsylvania town, veteran train conductor Frank (Washington) and novice partner Will (Chris Pine) must do everything in their power to stop it.
Crimson Tide (1995) 88%
Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington go toe-to-toe in Crimson Tide, a submarine action-thriller involving a gung-ho boat captain and his mutinous underling.
When Soviet rebels confiscate American ICBMs, the U.S. military reacts by dispatching nuclear submarine USS Alabama. When orders are given to launch a nuclear missile from the sub, part of the message is obscured by a damaged radio signal. Captain Ramsey insists on proceeding with the launch while his college-educated inferior, Hunter (Washington), thinks it's best to wait for clearer instructions.
True Romance (1993) 93%
According to Rotten Tomatoes, True Romance is the best movie of Tony Scott's directorial career. The star-studded affair written by Quentin Tarantino concerns a lonely comic-book store employee who goes on a criminal adventure of a lifetime upon meeting a call-girl on his birthday.
Clarence (Christian Slater) meets Alabama (Patricia Arquette) at a kung-fu triple feature. Falling fast in love, the two are swept up in a criminal endeavor involving a suitcase of stolen cocaine belonging to the Italian mob. As the two flee Detroit for California to sell the drugs and retire into the sunset, they are pursued by the mafia as well as the FBI.