Prometheus
Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.
Despite a substantial budget of $130.0M, Prometheus became a financial success, earning $403.4M worldwide—a 210% return.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 6 wins & 47 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Elizabeth Shaw
David
Charlie Holloway
Meredith Vickers
Janek
Peter Weyland
Fifield
Millburn
Main Cast & Characters
Elizabeth Shaw
Played by Noomi Rapace
Archaeologist and believer who seeks humanity's origins, driven by faith and scientific curiosity despite mounting horror.
David
Played by Michael Fassbender
Synthetic android with hidden agenda who admires Lawrence of Arabia and harbors complex feelings about his creators and humanity.
Charlie Holloway
Played by Logan Marshall-Green
Archaeologist and Shaw's romantic partner, idealistic and passionate about meeting humanity's creators but quickly disillusioned.
Meredith Vickers
Played by Charlize Theron
Cold, corporate mission director representing Weyland Corporation interests, maintains strict control and distances herself from the crew.
Janek
Played by Idris Elba
Pragmatic and experienced ship captain who maintains calm professionalism while protecting his crew from corporate machinations.
Peter Weyland
Played by Guy Pearce
Elderly dying billionaire who funded the expedition seeking immortality from humanity's creators, hidden in cryosleep.
Fifield
Played by Sean Harris
Cynical and abrasive geologist more interested in profit than discovery, first to panic when danger emerges.
Millburn
Played by Rafe Spall
Enthusiastic biologist excited about potential alien life, naive optimism leads to fatal encounter with alien creature.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Ancient cave paintings in Scotland reveal star maps created by different civilizations across time, all pointing to the same distant star system - a potential invitation from humanity's creators.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when The Prometheus arrives at LV-223. The planet has a breathable atmosphere, and they detect artificial structures - massive dome-like buildings that could only be made by the Engineers. The invitation appears real.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 32 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 26% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to The expedition team enters the alien pyramid structure. Inside, they find vast chambers with technological wonders - and the decapitated corpse of an Engineer. They have crossed into a world of ancient mysteries and buried dangers., moving from reaction to action.
At 62 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat David secretly poisons Holloway with the black goo. Shaw discovers she's pregnant despite being sterile - infected with an alien organism. The mission's true nature is revealed: Weyland is alive aboard ship, seeking immortality from the Engineers. False victory (finding the Engineers) becomes false defeat (they meant to destroy us)., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 94 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The awakened Engineer immediately kills Weyland and his team without hesitation or communication. Humanity's creator feels nothing but contempt for its creation. Shaw's faith is shattered - we were made to be destroyed. The "whiff of death" - Weyland dies, and humanity's hopes die with him., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 100 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Shaw synthesizes her faith with her experience: she no longer needs the Engineers' approval to matter. She chooses to stop them and save humanity. Janek realizes the facility is a military installation and decides to sacrifice the Prometheus to stop the Engineer ship., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Prometheus's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Prometheus against these established plot points, we can identify how Ridley Scott utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Prometheus within the adventure genre.
Ridley Scott's Structural Approach
Among the 24 Ridley Scott films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.5, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Prometheus exemplifies the director's characteristic narrative technique. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Ridley Scott filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional adventure films include The Black Stallion, The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots. For more Ridley Scott analyses, see Alien, White Squall and American Gangster.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Ancient cave paintings in Scotland reveal star maps created by different civilizations across time, all pointing to the same distant star system - a potential invitation from humanity's creators.
Theme
Shaw tells Holloway, "I guess it's a matter of what you're willing to believe." The film explores faith versus empiricism, creation versus destruction, and whether meeting one's makers brings meaning or devastation.
Worldbuilding
Aboard the Prometheus in 2093, the crew awakens from hypersleep. Weyland Corporation has funded this trillion-dollar expedition to find humanity's "Engineers." We meet Shaw (believer), Holloway (scientist), David (android), Vickers (corporate), and Janek (captain).
Disruption
The Prometheus arrives at LV-223. The planet has a breathable atmosphere, and they detect artificial structures - massive dome-like buildings that could only be made by the Engineers. The invitation appears real.
Resistance
The team debates how to approach the alien structures. Vickers warns against contamination. David reveals his own agenda, studying ancient languages obsessively. They prepare to enter the Engineer facility, establishing protocols and safety measures before crossing the threshold.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The expedition team enters the alien pyramid structure. Inside, they find vast chambers with technological wonders - and the decapitated corpse of an Engineer. They have crossed into a world of ancient mysteries and buried dangers.
Mirror World
Shaw and Holloway's relationship deepens as they explore together. Their shared wonder about meeting their makers mirrors the parent-child dynamic at the story's core. Meanwhile, David - himself a created being seeking his creator - begins his secret experiments.
Premise
The "promise of the premise" - exploring an alien world. The team discovers holographic recordings of fleeing Engineers, chambers filled with biological weapons (the black goo), and evidence of a catastrophic event 2,000 years ago. The wonder turns increasingly ominous.
Midpoint
David secretly poisons Holloway with the black goo. Shaw discovers she's pregnant despite being sterile - infected with an alien organism. The mission's true nature is revealed: Weyland is alive aboard ship, seeking immortality from the Engineers. False victory (finding the Engineers) becomes false defeat (they meant to destroy us).
Opposition
Everything collapses. Shaw performs emergency surgery to remove the alien creature. Holloway, infected, is killed by Vickers. Fifield and Milburn are killed by the black goo's mutations. The Engineers created humanity - but then decided to destroy us with biological weapons.
Collapse
The awakened Engineer immediately kills Weyland and his team without hesitation or communication. Humanity's creator feels nothing but contempt for its creation. Shaw's faith is shattered - we were made to be destroyed. The "whiff of death" - Weyland dies, and humanity's hopes die with him.
Crisis
Shaw learns the Engineer is activating his ship to complete the mission: deliver the black goo bioweapon to Earth. Alone, infected, having lost her partner and her faith, she faces the dark night - why were we created only to be destroyed? What is the point of seeking answers from gods who hate us?
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Shaw synthesizes her faith with her experience: she no longer needs the Engineers' approval to matter. She chooses to stop them and save humanity. Janek realizes the facility is a military installation and decides to sacrifice the Prometheus to stop the Engineer ship.
Synthesis
The finale: Janek rams the Prometheus into the Engineer ship, destroying it before it can reach Earth. The Engineer survives and pursues Shaw. She releases the squid-creature (her "offspring") which attacks and kills the Engineer. Shaw and David prepare to leave LV-223.
Transformation
Shaw, transformed from believer seeking answers to survivor demanding them, chooses not to return to Earth. Instead, she and David will take an Engineer ship to the Engineers' homeworld. "I need to know why they changed their minds." She has lost her faith but gained her purpose.