Adapting Frank Herbert’s Dune has long been considered one of the most daunting tasks in science fiction cinema. Denis Villeneuve, however, managed to capture the immense scale and intricate politics of the novel with Dune: Part One. The film follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as his noble family is thrust into a deadly trap on the desert planet of Arrakis, the only source of the universe’s most valuable substance: spice.
Villeneuve’s direction, combined with Hans Zimmer’s otherworldly score and Greig Fraser’s breathtaking cinematography, creates a palpable sense of scale. The sandworms are terrifyingly massive, and the brutalist architecture of the universe feels ancient and imposing. It is a masterclass in world-building.