Ridley Scott is considered to be one of the most influential directors of his generation, having helmed all-time classics such as Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator. However, while he remains as prolific as ever, Scott’s filmography runs so deep at this point that some of his films are invariably better than others. Not every movie he’s made has fully resonated with audiences upon initial release, with one example being Prometheus. The first of Scott’s two Alien prequels proved to be divisive when it hit theaters in the early 2010s, but now it’s finding major success on streaming all these years later.
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According to FlixPatrol, which measures the popularity of titles on various streaming services, Prometheus is the No. 1 movie on Netflix in the world. As of this writing, it has a score of 594, ahead of State of Fear (554) and Joe’s College Road Trip (446).
Why Prometheus Is a Streaming Hit on Netflix
As Scott’s return to the Alien franchise decades after the original film, Prometheus was one of the most anticipated movies in the summer of 2012. Fans were excited to see Scott return to his sci-fi roots and answer some of the most burning questions about the world of Alien, but the results were not what everyone expected. While Prometheus was generally well-received (73% score on Rotten Tomatoes), it was polarizing due to some confusing creative decisions. While some people were impressed by the ambition of Scott’s vision, others were left unsatisfied by the prequel.
However, time has been kind to Prometheus, and it’s now seen in a more favorable light over a decade later. Some of the perceived flaws still exist, but audiences are now willing to look past them to get immersed in Scott’s philosophical narrative that ponders deep questions about human existence and the director’s keen eye for sharp visuals. This is likely the main reason why Prometheus is a streaming hit. It’s been subject to re-evaluation, and now that it’s readily available on Netflix (in international territories, at least), people are interested in watching it again to see if their opinions have changed. Thanks to the abundance of Alien projects that have come out in the years since (including direct sequel Alien: Covenant), Prometheus can be viewed through an entirely different perspective.
Recently, the Alien franchise has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence in popularity. The 2024 film Alien: Romulus was a well-received box office hit ($350.8 million worldwide) and last year’s Alien: Earth was a critically acclaimed TV series that’s been renewed for a second season. The franchise isn’t going away anytime soon; a sequel to Romulus is currently in development, and there remains talk of Sigourney Weaver possibly returning for a new installment. With Alien back at the top of the sci-fi world the past couple of years, it’s likely sparked interest in revisiting some of the property’s previous movies.
After Alien: Covenant polarized audiences and fared worse at the box office, Scott never got an opportunity to make his third prequel film and complete the story that started in Prometheus. It’ll be interesting to see if renewed appreciation for what Prometheus and Covenant were attempting will encourage the studio to give Scott the green light. On one hand, the Alien franchise appears to have moved in a different direction (one that’s working better with general viewers), but Scott is still a legend who’s earned the right to make a film as long as he has the right idea. Based on the director’s comments, it doesn’t sound like a new Alien is at the forefront of his mind, but perhaps he’ll come up with something down the line.
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