Every Ridley Scott Movie Ranked Worst To Best

10. Prometheus (2012)

In many ways, Ridley Scott's insistence that Prometheus isn't an Alien film was one of its most problematic obstacles. We all knew it was - even when the director still seemed unwilling to acknowledge it - but he seemed way too concerned with layering on psuedo-religious and philosophical imagery that it was impossible to find the appealing brand among the mumbo jumbo.

The story is a good one - of a species racing to the stars to find where they came from and to conquer death (our essential human drive) - and the general ideas are very clever, but there's a lot in there that is confusing and requires clarification outside of the film that rarely comes definitely.

The film purports to answer fundamental questions, but the reality is that it simply ends up positing more complex ones, and while there's a lot to enjoy in there - chiefly the performances of the actors - the plot is too contrived (thanks to everyone being an idiot) and there's not the same commitment to pure thrills as there was in the mainline Alien series.