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Prometheus

Prometheus

The search for our beginning could lead to our end.

2012124 minRMidcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Director
Ridley Scott
Starring
Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba

A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Prometheus?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Prometheus streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Prometheus?

Prometheus earns 11 badges, led by Visual feast and Spectacle.

Show 3 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Prometheus worth watching?

Prometheus' Midcredits score is the 76th percentile of all films, from 1.5M ratings across 6 sources. 69% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

76th percentile

Better received than 76% of films

82nd percentile among Adventure76th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)72nd
Approval (how many liked it)77th

68 /100

72nd percentile of all films

80th percentile among Adventure71st percentile among 2010s

Critics 64 · Audience 68

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

69% liked it

77th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Adventure78th percentile among 2010s
69% rated it 7–1031% rated it 1–6

Critics 73% · Audience 68%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 6 wins / 47 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Visual Effects
  • NominatedBAFTA Awards· Best Special Visual Effects

89th percentile

1.5M ratings across platforms

83rd percentile among Adventure89th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 24% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$130M
Opening weekend$51M
Domestic gross$126M
Worldwide gross$403M

Returned 3.1× its budget — 96th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A visually spectacular, ambitious sci-fi that struggles with a flawed script and illogical character actions.

Fans praised

  • stunning visual design and cinematography
  • Michael Fassbender's chilling performance as David
  • ambitious themes about creation and humanity's origins

Detractors panned

  • ludicrous character behavior and poor decision-making by scientists
  • incoherent plot with unresolved mysteries and plot holes
  • underwritten characters and lack of emotional investment

What stands out

Cinematography90

breathtaking visuals, grand scale, beautiful 3D

Effects and spectacle88

top-notch CGI and practical effects; impressive set pieces

Acting75

Fassbender praised as standout; Rapace strong; some critics note uneven supporting cast

Atmosphere75

immersive world-building; eerie and majestic tone

PacingDivisive45

slow first half, rushed and disjointed second half

TensionDivisive40

some effective scares but lacks sustained suspense

Plot and storyDivisive35

ambitious but muddled; raises questions without satisfying answers

CharactersDivisive25

scientists described as stupid, illogical, and underdeveloped; David is the exception

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 27 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 23 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Prometheus like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It is intense and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTense
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Awestruck · 1% of films: Wonder at something vast or marvelous.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film holds its material straight with a grave, awestruck seriousness, never winking or undercutting its cosmic horror and philosophical questions.
The rideA sustained build of dread and tension, with brief moments of awe, peaking in the violent final confrontation with the Engineer.
StructureThe film unfolds in a linear chronological order from discovery to journey to confrontation, following a conventional three-act structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's unanswered questions about creation and destruction, along with its grim ending, linger as a haunting sense of cosmic dread.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterInvasion
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% (this title) · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Invasion: An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Quest underneath

Why this archetypeThe crew's discovery mission to LV-223 becomes a desperate fight against a genocidal biological weapon and its Engineer creators, fitting the invasion subtype as the Engineers target Earth.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfTruthIdeas
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% (this title) · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Ideas

Truth · 4% of filmsMortality · 2% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Cosmic stakes: Consequences reach beyond the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates the human desire to know our origins, the nature of creation, and the fear of death that drives that search.
StanceThe film questions the very search for ultimate truth and humanity's place in the cosmos without offering clear answers.

The world

Near futureOuter spaceInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral modernAmbientForeground music · original score · Marc Streitenfeld
SettingThe moon LV-223, orbiting a gas giant, containing an ancient Engineer structure.
MusicThe score combines eerie, dissonant strings and ethereal choral elements to evoke wonder and dread.

Content guide

Is Prometheus okay for kids?

R

Prometheus is rated R: “Rated R for sci-fi violence including some intense images, and brief language” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (86/100), sexual content at mild (27/100), language at moderate (58/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (35/100) and frightening material at severe (82/100). Overall it is heavier than 64% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 26 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15A
  • New ZealandR16
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil14
  • Belgium18
  • BGD
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceΚ-15
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyVM14
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO18
  • SK15
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 78% of all filmsHeavier than 64% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 75%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 21%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 34%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 32%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 82%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Prometheus have?

MovieCove's classifier found 2 depicted content warnings in Prometheus, all withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

Cast and crew

Who is in Prometheus?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Noomi Rapace
as Elizabeth Shaw
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Michael Fassbender
as David
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Charlize Theron
as Meredith Vickers
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Idris Elba
as Janek
Guy Pearce
as Peter Weyland
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Logan Marshall-Green
as Charlie Holloway
newcomer then · star now
Sean Harris
as Fifield
Rafe Spall
as Millburn
Emun Elliott
as Chance
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Benedict Wong
as Ravel

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Prometheus?

Movies like Prometheus include Alien: Covenant (2017), Passengers (2016) and The Martian (2015). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films written by Dan O'Bannon, and most are films set in outer space.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Ridley Scott directed 4 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Prometheus?

149 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: space exploration. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.