Dune: Part Two has made a massive mark at the box office while being the critical darling simultaneously. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the epic sci-fi tale in the sand has an inherent mesmerizing effect, thanks to Greig Fraser’s beautiful cinematography complementing the narrative as a whole. Fraser’s mastery has secured him an Oscar for his work in the Dune: Part One.
Timothee Chalamet in Dune: Part Two. Image Credit: Warner Bros.
But Dune: Part Two is more than the cinematic embezzlement on the surface or as it was hyped as a full-fledged commercial movie. While Frank Herbert’s celebrated science fiction novel series, Dune, was considered “unfilmable” Villeneuve took up the huge challenge and the rest is history. The movie is the acute embodiment of character study, class, politics, and above all immaculate action with classic emotional journeys that the characters have dwelled on. As Dune: Part Three is yet to be confirmed, we have brought you a list of movies you can watch in the meantime.
10 . Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
Anthony Quinn, Peter O’Toole, and Omar Sharif in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Image Credit: Columbia Pictures
Lawrence Of Arabia is quite close to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise. Led by Peter O’Toole, the David Lean masterpiece has all the essence of a classic. Based on T. E. Lawrence’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom, the movie has to be one of the finest desert tales consisting a narrative of epic proportion with character development at its finest. Similar to Paul Atreides’ inherent conflict and leadership, O’Toole chronicling T. E. Lawrence embodies the same attributes.
Beyond the narrative, the beautiful cinematography of the movie has always been captivating, Freddie Young rightfully secured an Oscar for his immersive visuals in the movie. Based on the backdrop of the First World War, Lawrence Of Arabia received a total of ten Oscar nods winning seven including Best Picture and Best Director award. Lawrence Of Arabia is a must watch and almost any critic will recommend this awe-inspiring movie.
Watch Lawrence Of Arabia on video-on-demand sites including Apple TV.
9 . Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013)
Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013). Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics
Frank Pavich directed Jodorowsky’s Dune will transform you into the one of most ambitious projects in Hollywood. It was almost impossible to adapt Frank Herbert’s novels onto the screen and the temptation was always there.
Celebrated filmmaker David Lynch also attempted the cinematic version of Herbert’s novel in 1984 but it was too dry as it failed to meet the expectation. But long before that, Alejandro Jodorowsky made a grand proposal to transform Herbert’s epic into the screen in 1970 with a runtime of 14 hours exceeding the wild imagination of anyone.
Jodorowsky’s ambitious Dune movie would star Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger, and Orson Welles. Pavich reflected on Jodorowsky’s ambition in detail in his 2013 documentary. It is certainly a must-watch for cinema enthusiasts to understand what went wrong with the project.
Watch Jodorowsky’s Dune on Max.
8 . Mad Max: Fury Road
Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). Image Credit: Warner Bros.
Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the most enjoyable post-apocalyptic action adventures. Starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron in the lead, the movie has every essence of dune adventure with a grand narrative. The George Miller-directed movie is highly stylized with astounding visuals to complement the prowess of the story.
Fury Road lives up to the expectations with profound synonymity with Villeneuve’s Dune franchise in regards to the storytelling on the sandy landscape. Of course, in every other ground, the movies are different but that would not be a hurdle for you to enjoy every frame of Miller’s movie.
7 . Arrival
Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in Arrival (2016). Image Credit: Paramount Pictures
Villeneuve has produced several wonderful titles in his career, if one has to name another spectacle from the director beyond the Dune franchise, it has to be his 2016 sci-fi mystery thriller Arrival. Starring, Amy Adams in the lead alongside Jeremy Renner, the movie possesses everything required to be a sci-fi masterpiece.
The premise of the narrative follows Dr. Louise Banks, a linguistics expert. She must interpret the language of aliens who have come to Earth in a mysterious spaceship. However, Villeneuve was far from making it a simple narrative of communication with aliens rather, in many ways, the movie is intensive, inherently sad, and dark but does not shy away from the grandness of his vision. Arrival is indeed a must-watch.
6. Cloud Atlas
Cloud Atlas (2012). Image Credit: Warner Bros.
If you can digest complex narratives, Cloud Atlas could be the next best thing on your watchlist. Starring industry veteran Tom Hanks alongside Hugo Weaving, and Halle Berry Cloud Atlas was the creation behind the minds of The Matrix franchise— Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski alongside Tom Tykwer.
The 172-minute film chronicles a grand narrative transcending time through the course of human history— from past to future through the present. Cloud Atlas is definitely a mind-bending sci-fi mystery for you to dissect and consume the essence with the inherent appeal of a thrilling experience through the film and the characters. Cloud Atlas is the strongest appetizer for you to have while waiting for Dune: Part Three.
5. Star Wars Original Trilogy
A scene from Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Image Credit: 20th Century Studios
Star Wars went on to be one of the most successful franchises with epic storytelling through cinematic visuals that was born from the mind of acclaimed director George Lucas. The original Star Wars trilogy captured the finest details of what Villeneuve has put in his narrative by design or structure of storytelling. Also, building the different and complicated space for the characters in sci-fi movies can never be easy but both the directors have pulled it off in their respective films. Certainly, the original Star Wars has made Dune a worthy spectacle.
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey
Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Image Credit: Warner Bros.
Legendary director Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is considered a masterpiece for obvious reasons. Released in 1968, the movie was undoubtedly ahead of its time with spectacular visuals and a unique tale of human vs machine has inspired even Christopher Nolan and many other filmmakers. The movie is fresh even today thanks to Kubrick’s vision to create an experience of a space adventure with one of the greatest villains of all time, HAL.
Starring Keir Dullea, and Gary Lockwood, and co alongside HAL actor Douglas Rain, the movie was inspired by Arthur C. Clarke’s (he also co-wrote the screenplay with Kubrick) 1951 short story The Sentinel. 2001: A Space Odyssey is certainly one of the most important movies in the history of cinema.
The character development and the conflict between the hero and the villain made it a gripping thriller. If you haven’t watched it already, you must watch this evergreen movie as it is a complete package of the depth of storytelling and fascinating set, visual effects and so much more.
3. Interstellar
Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and David Gyasi in Interstellar (2014). Image Credit: Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros.
Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is the perfect successor to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Nolan made Interstellar a visual masterpiece with his long-time collaborator cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, VFX Supervisor Paul Franklin, and DNEG VFX Supervisor Andy Lockley alongside the gripping score of Hans Zimmer.
Interstellar is the celebration of the space adventure with stunning visuals complementing the mind-bending sci-fi narrative. The Supermassive black hole, Gargantua, in particular, revolutionized the way of visualizing the very galactic beast.
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Nolan was very insistent on creating the most accurate visualization of it so he hired Nobel-winning physicist Kip Throne as the science advisor of the film. But the movie was not just a sci-fi marvel, it is a human narrative with a huge question of the survival of mankind, and most importantly, the celebration of father-daughter love transcending across time and space.
2. Ad Astra
Brad Pitt in Ad Astra (2019). Image Credit: 20th Century Studios
James Gray’s Ad Astra is one of the most underrated sci-fi space adventures. Despite positive reviews, the movie only grossed $135 million against the production budget of $80–100 million. Still, the Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones starrer movie deserves the right attention for the astonishing journey of Major Roy McBride (played by Pitt) to a space station in orbit around Neptune.
Ad Astra is undoubtedly a well-curated movie that balances the right amount of emotion with the classic depiction of the adventure. It was certainly an ambitious project and it has every right to be.
1. Blade Runner 2049
A scene from Blade Runner 2049 (2017). Image Credit: Warner Bros.
If Villeneuve touched a project, it would turn out to be a masterpiece. Carrying the legacy of Ridley Scott who directed the original Blade Runner in 1982— a beautiful sci-fi in its own right— Villeneuve made Blade Runner 2049 one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. Also, it is among the finest works by the director, if not the best. Inherently, the 2017 movie created a heavy discussion including seeing the movie through the point of view of environmental cinema. The dystopian narrative brought back every essence of Scott’s movie and who better could do justice to the epic narrative other than Villeneuve?
Starring Ryan Gosling and bringing back Harrison Ford, the movie is synonymous with delight of amusement for every sci-fi fan. Blade Runner 2049 would be a treat to your eyes and mind and another opportunity to explore another movie by the director before Dune: Part Three.
