Every Gareth Edwards movie, ranked from worst to best

With the forthcoming release of The Creator, the newest sci-fi extravaganza from co-writer and director Gareth Edwards, it’s time to take a look back at the past films he’s directed and rank them from worst to best.

The Creator, penned by Edwards and Chris Weitz, looks to be a fascinating examination of artificial intelligence and its potential impact on humanity. Starring John David Washington as a former soldier, he comes across a young child who is a robot that serves as a secret weapon in the ongoing war between humanity and automata.

As usual, the trailer for The Creator showcases action set pieces on a massive scale and stunning visual effects grounded in a realistic world, much like many of Edwards’ past films. With that said, will the movie hold up as one of his finest efforts, or will the thematic similarity of his previous work prove to have diminishing returns in the long run? Only time will tell. But for now, let’s rank all of Edwards’ movies from worst to best.

3. Monsters (2010)

With Edwards’ debut feature film, Monsters, the director proved so much of his potential through the large-scope story told from a narrow perspective and a shoestring budget. Bearing some similarities to District 9, Monsters takes place in a world where gigantic aliens have “infected” a large swath of Mexico, creating an ongoing war between extraterrestrials and humans. A photojournalist on a mission to rescue his publisher’s daughter makes the pair see an adventure across a war-torn landscape realized in subtle and clever ways. Despite some slightly stilted lead performances from Scott McNairy and Whitney Able, Monsters remains a masterclass in worldbuilding and the economical use of special effects for maximum impact.

2. Godzilla (2014)

Godzilla may have taken its story a bit all over the place, as evidenced by Bryan Cranston’s needlessly diminished role, but the film still holds up as arguably the strongest of the modern MonsterVerse movies. That is because Edwards once again employs his unique world-building abilities and sense of scale to great effect, anchored by commendable performances from Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen. Every time we see Godzilla and other monsters, it is from the perspective of us ant-like humans on the ground, with the giant creatures often seen in between buildings and through a closing door. This creates a sense of dread that the two follow-ups by other directors haven’t quite matched, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong.

1. Rogue One: A Star War Story (2016)

It would be an exaggeration to call Rogue One: A Star Wars Story a completely flawless movie. Like some of Edwards’ previous movies, the film suffers a bit from a lack of character development and general charisma from the lead actors. Its plot also has convoluted aspects, such as many quick location changes and the film being arguably overstuffed with characters. That said, the final beach battle alone in Rogue One is among the finest achievements in Star Wars history. Once again, Edwards’ uncanny sense of scale and world-building is in full effect here with the presence of giant AT-ATs roaming tropical waters and Imperial TIE fighters screeching through a clear blue sky as among some of the most memorable imagery in the storied saga of the galaxy far, far away.

Of all of Edwards’ films, Rogue One probably has the lowest valleys and highest peaks contained within the same narrative. You have the constant jumping around in the plot and cringey CGI resurrections of deceased actors like Carrie Fisher and Peter Cushing representing some of the lows. However, a breathtaking hallway fight scene with Darth Vader and one of the greatest all-time war scenes represent some of the highs. The total package is still a mixed bag. However, at the end of the day, the positives outweigh the negatives since Rogue One’s more dower tone perfectly set the stage for its spiritual follow-up that proved to be a massive hit with critics and fans: the Disney Plus series Andor.

Edwards’ newest film, The Creator, comes to theaters on Sept. 29.