Luc Besson: From Best to Worst

Luc Besson's Filmography from Best to Worst

From cinema du look to cinema don't look

After delving into Luc Besson's body of work as a director, I must say that overall, he comes across as mediocre. His greatest contributions to cinema came early in his career. In my opinion, the only movie that truly matters is The Big Blue. Alongside Léon: The Professional, these seem to be the only personal films Besson decided to write. The Big Blue draws from his personal connection to the sea through his parents, while Léon reflects his controversial romance with a very young girl.

The rest of his filmography ranges from average to outright garbage. With his latest films, it feels as if he has sold his soul to the devil, creating some demonic movies. Why would I say such a stupid thing? Because movies like Adèle Blanc-Sec, Valerian, and Dogman drained my energy with their sheer badness. Since Jean Reno's departure from Besson's movies, nothing truly unique has happened. His style is not distinctive; there are countless Hollywood directors whose work resembles his.

Despite his huge box office successes, it seems that Besson's creativity was ultimately ruined by his own hubris. In the end, art should matter, and it should resonate with people. Apart from The Big Blue, none of his movies have left a lasting impression on me. Even his EuropaCorp opening screen, featuring dolphins and the sea, is a testament to this—he peaked with Le Grand Bleu, the only meaningful movie he created... so far.

I leave this filmography with a bad aftertaste. Below is the ranking of all his movies (skipping Anna and Atlantis, sorry) from best to worst according to my taste. Click on the image if you wish to read the review. Thank you for being here on my blog, and let's keep watching movies.