Don't think of this as a prequel to Alien. It is so much more than that.

In the year 2093, archaeologists Shaw (Rapace) and Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discover a series of cave paintings, all pointing to the same constellation. Convinced they provide vital clues to humanity's origins, the two join an exploratory mission on the titular ship, bank-rolled (as always) by a shady corporation. Theron (Monster, Young Adult) plays the cold corporate commander Meredith Vickers with Idris Elba (TV's "The Wire", "Luther") as her insubordinate captain. Fassbender (Shame, Jane Eyre) gives a standout performance as a sinisterly existential cyborg (is there any other kind?). All's well until they've reached their destination and may have found more than they bargained for - and brought it aboard.

His few forays into other genres were lukewarmly received (Russell Crowe's aging Robin Hood bewildered critics, and only five people saw A Good Year), but when it comes to dramatic, awe-inspiring science fiction, director Ridley Scott knows his stuff. This visual feast is pure cinematic spectacle; Scott has taken his tense, pulsing original horror movie and given it the King Kong treatment. With vivid cinematography of rich, otherworldly landscapes, and futuristic technology incorporated with seamless effects, this was without doubt made with a lot of attentive love. Don't compare it with its predecessors; Prometheus is a different creature (no pun intended). Penned by Damon Lindelof ("Lost"), this is a brooding meditation on life and humanity that won't loosen its grip until well past the final credits.

'In space, no one can hear you scream.' That would have to be one of the greatest, and most recognisable, tag-lines of any film in history. An anti-Star Wars for the late 70s, this film is actually just a haunted-house story - it just happens to be set on a spaceship. But director Ridley Scott managed to elevate the cheap thrills of a scary-monster-in-space genre film and craft one of the most nerve-wracking horror films ever made.

If you haven't seen it and don't know the plot, then maybe you should go in all naïve and innocent (so stop reading now), but if you must know... the crew of the deep-space mining ship Nostromo responds to a distress call, and discovers a derelict space craft and strange eggs. When it becomes apparent that the eggs house a special type of parasite, the crew members realise that they're dealing with something very different and, well, alien...

Essentially launching the careers of director Scott and actor Weaver, this movie will never lose its official place amongst the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die". With Oscar-winning special effects, a legendary alien designed by HR Giger, and that scene (where apparently the reactions of the cast are genuine, because they themselves didn't know what was about to happen), this is a must-see.