Skip to content
Motif
Tony Scott

Tony Scott

Producer, director, actor and cinematographer, also editor and writer · Died August 19, 2012, aged 68 · North Shields, Northumberland, England, UK

2 Primetime Emmys · BAFTA Award winner · 2 other major award bodies

Anthony David Leighton Scott (June 21, 1944 – August 19, 2012) was an English and American film director, producer and actor. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Days of Thunder (1990), The Last Boy Scout (1991), True Romance (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), Enemy of the State (1998), Man on Fire (2004), Déjà Vu (2006), and Unstoppable (2010). Scott was the younger brother of film director Sir Ridley Scott. They both graduated from the Royal College of Art in London, and were among a generation of British film directors who were successful in Hollywood having started their careers making television commercials. In 1995, both Tony and Ridley received the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema. In 2010, they received the BAFTA Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Filmed Entertainment.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 21, 1944
Died
August 19, 2012 (aged 68)
From
North Shields, Northumberland, England, UK
Works as
Producer, director, actor and cinematographer, also editor and writer
Titles
51 on Motif · 76 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 21% in 30 days

What are Tony Scott's films like?

Across their 43 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Action17 titlesTypical Motif score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Motif score: 59th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Motif score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Motif score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Motif score: 56th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
23%
Morality
20%
Bonds
19%
Survival
15%
Power
10%
Ideas
8%
Society
6%
Identity9 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty7 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themePower4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 40 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 9 · Serious 7 · Dark 24

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 16 · Stylized 14 · Heightened 10

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 10 · Intense 23

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 13 · Shifting 23 · Whiplash 4

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 26 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 22 · Relentless 8

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 23 · Full focus 9

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 11 · Affecting 14 · Heavy 15

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 24 · Open-ended 12 · Ambiguous 4

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
28
Melancholic
16
Contemplative
15
Dread
11
Thrilling
11
Other
34

How their films linger

Thought-provoking15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet22
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous6
  • Cyclical2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Tony Scott's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 41 of their 51 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Tony Scott's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

76 credits, 51 with a Motif page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Top Gun: Maverick(2022)

    In Memory Of

    Motif score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Get Santa(2014)

    Producer

    Motif score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Before I Go to Sleep(2014)

    Producer

    Motif score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Out of the Furnace(2013)

    Producer

    Motif score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The East(2013)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Stoker(2013)

    Producer

    Motif score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Killing Lincoln(2013)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Polar Bears (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2012)

    Producer

  • World Without End (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 8 episodes · Producer

  • Coma(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 10th percentile of all shows

  • The Grey(2011)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Labyrinth(2012)

    Show Producer

    Motif score: 9th percentile of all shows

  • Life in a Day(2011)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Gettysburg(2011)

    Producer

    Motif score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Unstoppable(2010)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Welcome to the Rileys(2010)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Pillars of the Earth(2010)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Cyrus(2010)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The A-Team(2010)

    Producer

    Motif score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Real Robin Hood(2010)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Cracks(2009)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Good Wife(2009)

    Show 90 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Taking of Pelham 123(2009)

    Director

    Motif score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Into the Storm(2009)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Tell Tale(2009)

    Producer

    Motif score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Andromeda Strain(2008)

    Show 2 episodes · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 14th percentile of all shows

  • The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford(2007)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Company (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

  • Cashback(2006)

    Production Consultant

    Motif score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Deja Vu(2006)

    Director

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Tristan + Isolde(2006)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Orpheus (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2006)

    Executive Producer

  • Le court des grands (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Domino(2005)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 37th percentile of all films

  • In Her Shoes(2005)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Numb3rs(2005)

    Show 118 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • Man on Fire(2004)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Beat the Devil (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • Ticker (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Executive Producer

  • Hostage (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Executive Producer

  • The Gathering Storm(2002)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 89th percentile of all films

  • AFP: American Fighter Pilot (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 7 episodes · Producer

  • Spy Game(2001)

    Director

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Hire (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Last Debate (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Executive Producer

  • Where the Money Is(2000)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 47th percentile of all films

  • RKO 281(1999)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Providence (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Young Kerry

  • Enemy of the State(1998)

    Director

    Motif score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Clay Pigeons(1998)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Angelo Nero (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1998)

    Actor

  • The Hunger(1997)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Motif score: 18th percentile of all shows

  • The Swords (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1997)

    Director

  • The Fan(1996)

    Director

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Cityscrapes: Los Angeles (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1996)

    as Director B

  • Crimson Tide(1995)

    Director

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • True Romance(1993)

    Director

    Motif score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Eye of the Storm: Ridley Scott (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

  • The Last Boy Scout(1991)

    Director

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The King of Ads (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Days of Thunder(1990)

    Director

    Motif score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Revenge(1990)

    Director

    Motif score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Beverly Hills Cop II(1987)

    Director

    Motif score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Spearfield's Daughter (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1986)

    as Police Lieutenant

  • Top Gun(1986)

    Director

    Motif score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Number One (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1985)

    as Danny

  • The Hunger(1983)

    Director

    Motif score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Author of Beltraffio (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    Director

  • Henry James Stories (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Loving Memory(1970)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Writer

    Motif score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Forum (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1969)

    Cinematographer

  • One of the Missing (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1968)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Writer

  • Compromise (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1968)

    Cinematographer

  • Boy and Bicycle(1965)

    as The Boy

    Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as The Indian Employee

    Motif score: 97th percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 73 titles from 1962 to 2022.

Biggest box office

Top Gun (1986)

$361M worldwide

Highest rated

True Romance (1993)

Motif 97th

Most popular right now

Before I Go to Sleep (2014)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting9 of 73: 9 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting27 of 73: 20 only directing, 7 with another role · typical Motif score69thWriting2 of 73: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing38 of 73: 33 only producing, 5 with another role · typical Motif score71stCinematography4 of 73: 2 only cinematography, 2 with another roleEditing2 of 73: 0 only editing, 2 with another roleOther crew2 of 73: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

73 titles, 7 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1960s5 · 2 acting · 3 crew1970s4 · 1 acting · 3 crew1980s5 · 2 acting · 3 crew1990s16 · 4 acting · 12 crew2000s26 · crew2010s16 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

2 Primetime Emmys and a BAFTA Award from 11 major nominations, 1995–2012.

WinNomination
  1. 2012
    • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
  2. 2011
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Nonfiction Special
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Miniseries or Movie
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Action Movie
  3. 2010
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
  4. 2008
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Miniseries
  5. 2003
    • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television
  6. 2002
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Made for Television Movie
  7. 2000
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Made for Television Movie
  8. 1995
    • BAFTA Award, won

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Tony Scott's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 43; across their 40 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Approval · how many liked their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Motif score across 51 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up21
  • 50th to 74th20
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

30 of their 51 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Crowd Pleaser30
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · director

The Hunger (1997)

58th percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

True Romance (1993)

Motif 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 51/100 in their films, across 37 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Tony Scott's work okay for kids?

Across up to 29 Motif titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore22 titles46–89 · median 68 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity29 titles15–60 · median 42 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity24 titles30–93 · median 69 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs22 titles14–52 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense22 titles41–82 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Tony Scott work with?

People who share at least 2 of Tony Scott's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ridley Scott shares the most, 24.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles