Prometheus (2012)

Last updated:
April 18, 2025

Detailed Summary

The Opening: Life on Earth

The film begins with a mysterious, humanoid alien—later revealed as an Engineer—standing on a cliff by a waterfall on a primordial Earth. This Engineer consumes a dark liquid, causing his body to disintegrate. His DNA breaks down and merges with the water, hinting at the creation of life on Earth.

The Discovery of a Star Map

In 2089, archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discover cave paintings that depict a star map, identical to those found in other ancient civilizations. They interpret this as an invitation from humanity’s creators—the Engineers—and soon embark on a journey aboard the ship Prometheus to a distant moon, LV-223, in hopes of uncovering the origins of mankind.

The Arrival on LV-223

The crew, led by mission director Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) and the android David (Michael Fassbender), arrives at LV-223 in 2093. Upon exploring an ancient alien structure, they discover evidence of the Engineers and a mysterious black liquid stored in urns. The atmosphere in the structure is breathable, and they find the remains of Engineers who appear to have died violently.

The Black Liquid

The black liquid becomes central to the plot as its properties are revealed to be highly dangerous and unpredictable. David, operating under secret orders, infects Holloway with the substance, which leads to a rapid deterioration of his body. This triggers a chain of disturbing events, including the birth of alien creatures and mutations in other crew members.

Discovering the Truth About the Engineers

Through various clues, the crew learns that the Engineers had planned to destroy Earth using the black liquid. They were preparing to launch a spaceship filled with the substance, but something went wrong, and their plans were interrupted.

David activates one of the Engineers’ ships and awakens an Engineer from stasis. However, when Shaw and David attempt to communicate with the Engineer, he violently attacks them and tries to resume his mission to destroy Earth.

The Birth of the Xenomorph

In the film’s climax, Shaw faces off against the Engineer in a desperate attempt to stop him from launching the ship. With the help of the Prometheus crew, they crash the Engineer’s ship. Shaw then encounters a monstrous creature—essentially a proto-xenomorph—that bursts out of the Engineer’s body, hinting at the eventual evolution of the xenomorph species.

Movie Ending

The film ends with Dr. Shaw being the sole survivor, along with David’s decapitated but still functional head. Determined to find answers, she decides to leave LV-223 using an Engineer spacecraft, with the goal of finding the Engineers’ home world and asking them why they created humanity and then tried to destroy it.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

There is no post-credits scene in Prometheus, but it leaves plenty of room for a sequel.

Type of Movie

Prometheus is a blend of science fiction, horror, and philosophical thriller. It has the grand scale and questions of traditional sci-fi, while also featuring body horror and tense, survivalist elements characteristic of the Alien franchise.

Cast

Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw
Michael Fassbender as David
Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers
Idris Elba as Janek, the captain of Prometheus
Logan Marshall-Green as Charlie Holloway
Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland
Sean Harris as Fifield
Rafe Spall as Millburn

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by Marc Streitenfeld, a frequent collaborator of Ridley Scott. The music combines eerie, atmospheric tones with grand, orchestral pieces that underscore both the awe-inspiring discoveries and the horror lurking beneath them.

Filming Locations

Prometheus was filmed in various locations, including:

Iceland: The opening scene featuring the Engineer on Earth was shot at Dettifoss waterfall, emphasizing the alien yet familiar landscape.
Scotland: The Isle of Skye served as the location where Shaw and Holloway discovered the star map.
Pinewood Studios in the UK: Many of the indoor sets, including the alien ship and Engineer structure, were constructed here.

The Icelandic landscapes added a sense of otherworldly grandeur to the film, while the detailed indoor sets captured the dark, claustrophobic horror of the Engineers’ mysterious world.

Awards and Nominations

Prometheus was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, a nod to its stunning CGI and creature designs. It also received nominations from the BAFTA Awards and the Saturn Awards for visual effects and production design but did not win any major accolades.

Behind the Scenes Insights

Ridley Scott returned to the Alien universe after more than 30 years.
Michael Fassbender based his performance as David on HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Peter O’Toole‘s portrayal of Lawrence of Arabia.
Noomi Rapace insisted on performing many of her own stunts, including the intense surgery scene.
The film’s initial cut was much longer and included more character development, but many scenes were cut to maintain pacing.

Inspirations and References

Alien Franchise: As a prequel to Alien, the film explores the origins of the xenomorphs and the Engineers.
2001: A Space Odyssey: The film’s existential themes and questions about human origin are reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s classic.
Lovecraftian Horror: The Engineers and their destructive creations mirror the themes of ancient, god-like beings indifferent to humanity found in the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

An extended version of the Engineer fight was filmed, giving more backstory to the Engineers’ motivations.
A deleted scene between David and Shaw adds more context to their relationship, where David shows a brief moment of sympathy.

Book Adaptations and Differences

There are no direct book adaptations of Prometheus, but the film’s lore expands on the original Alien universe, much of which has been explored in various novels, comics, and video games related to the Alien franchise.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

The opening scene where the Engineer sacrifices himself to create life.
Shaw’s self-surgery scene, where she removes an alien creature from her own body in a tense, heart-pounding sequence.
David’s unsettling interactions with the black liquid and his philosophical musings about creation.

Iconic Quotes

David: “Big things have small beginnings.”
Elizabeth Shaw: “We were wrong. We were so wrong.”
Meredith Vickers: “A king has his reign, and then he dies. It’s inevitable.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

The Weyland Corporation logo, seen throughout the movie, is a nod to the Alien series and its notorious connection to the xenomorphs.
The space jockey from Alien is revealed to be one of the Engineers, providing a direct connection to the original film.
The David 8 model android references Blade Runner, another Ridley Scott film, by exploring themes of creation and what it means to be human.

Trivia

Ridley Scott initially pitched Prometheus as a direct prequel to Alien, but it evolved into its own story with loose connections to the original.
Michael Fassbender learned to speak dialogue in Proto-Indo-European, one of the oldest reconstructed languages, for his scenes with the Engineers.
The film was originally rated NC-17 but was cut down to R for wider theatrical release.

Why Watch?

If you’re a fan of thought-provoking sci-fi that explores big philosophical questions about humanity’s origin and purpose, alongside stunning visuals and tense horror, Prometheus is a must-watch. It serves both as a spiritual prequel to Alien and as a standalone film filled with existential dread.