Ridley Scott is one of the most prolific directors working right now, but even some of his great movies get overlooked. Scott launched himself as one of the most popular directors of his generation with his acclaimed sci-fi movies, Alien and Blade Runner. However, a big part of his career longevity has been his ability to take on new genres.
Scott directed the Best Picture winner Gladiator and received Oscar nominations for movies as varied as Thelma & Louise, Black Hawk Down, and The Martian. Despite all the acclaim Ridley Scott’s movies have earned over the years, one of his best and most unique movies sadly remains ignored by most fans.
Matchstick Men Might Be Ridley Scott’s Most Underrated Movie
The Crime-Comedy Features A Fantastic Nicolas Cage Performance
2003’s Matchstick Men showcases Ridley Scott’s talents as a filmmaker in completely different ways, making for a true gem in his filmography. Sadly, it is also a movie that gets overshadowed by his bigger projects and has never really gotten the attention it deserves. Even after all these years, Matchstick Men is hardly mentioned alongside Scott’s best work.
Its focus on characters over the actual scam makes for a compelling story, and it all leads to a clever twist that is completely unexpected and brings the movie to another level.
Nicolas Cage stars as Roy Waller, who, along with his partner, Frank (Sam Rockwell), operates as a con artist. Despite the smoothness Roy exhibits in his criminal activities, he battles obsessive-compulsive disorders. He is then forced to contend with his work and his phobias when a young girl named Angela (Alison Lohman) arrives, claiming to be his daughter.
Matchstick Men earned strong reviews when it was released, scoring 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it was a box office disappointment with its total gross barely surpᴀssing its $62 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). While the movie has its fans, it largely disappeared from the public’s memory after its box office run.
Cage’s performance is one of his best, despite getting no award recognition, and the movie itself is a terrific take on the con artist movie genre. Its focus on characters over the actual scam makes for a compelling story, and it all leads to a clever twist that is completely unexpected and brings the movie to another level.
How Matchstick Men Is Different From Other Ridley Scott Films
Matchstick Men Is Scott’s Best Comedy
Despite Ridley Scott being known for not sticking to one type of movie more than others, Matchstick Men stands out as something different in his filmography. It is certainly one of he more comedic movies of Scott’s career. He had tried comedies in the past, such as the Russell Crowe rom-com A Good Year, though unsuccessfully.
It is a shame that Matchstick Men did not get more attention, as it is a perfect example of just how versatile Scott is as a filmmaker.
Matchstick Men was the first time Scott was able to successfully use humor in such a big part of the story, elevating it beyond just another crime caper. He has directed plenty of intense and gripping thrillers, so it is interesting to see how underplayed the movie’s crime elements are.
There are moments of danger in Matchstick Men, but they are not focused on as much as the moments between characters. The relationships are developed with the crime elements, providing an interesting backdrop that helps deliver the terrific third-act twist. There is a confidence in Scott’s ability to tell this story, despite it feeling outside his wheelhouse.
It is a shame that Matchstick Men did not get more attention, as it is a perfect example of just how versatile Scott is as a filmmaker. His career has certainly done just fine in the movie’s aftermath, but had Matchstick Men been a bigger hit, it could have led to even bigger swings from Ridley Scott.
