Legendary director Ridley Scott isn’t holding back when it comes to his views on the film industry today. In a candid conversation at the British Film Institute on Sunday, the 87-year-old filmmaker criticised the state of modern cinema, calling most Hollywood films “mediocre”, so much so that he’s started rewatching his own classics.

Ridley Scott talks about standards of modern cinema lowering

As reported by Metro, the Gladiator and Alien auteur was speaking to his son, director Luke Scott and didn’t mince words. Scott took aim at the overreliance on visual effects in contemporary filmmaking, suggesting that the emphasis on spectacle often compensates for weak storytelling.

“The quantity of movies that are made today, literally globally, millions. Not thousands, millions, and most of it is shit. I think a lot of films today are saved and made more expensive by digital effects, because what they haven’t got is a great thing on paper first. Get it on paper.”

Though he acknowledged that “occasionally a good one will happen,” Scott said the overall quality of modern films feels like a creative downturn, adding, “We’re drowning in mediocrity.”

When asked about his comfort film, Scott admitted that he’s been turning to his own work lately, not out of ego, but frustration.

“It’s a horrible thing but I’ve started watching my own movies, and actually they’re pretty good! And also, they don’t age,” he said, noting a recent rewatch of Black Hawk Down left him marvelling, “How in the hell did I manage to do that?”

About Ridley Scott’s latest work

Despite his critiques, Scott has no plans to slow down. He recently wrapped production on The Dog Stars, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film starring Jacob Elordi, signaling yet another genre shift for the veteran director. The director informed that he has already begun writing a third Gladiator film.