This past Friday October 22, 2021, Academy Award winning director Dennis Villeneuve brought Frank Herbert’s science fiction masterpiece to life with his adaptation of Dune. Supported by a star-studded cast including, but certainly not limited to, Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, and Oscar Isaac, the nearly two-and-a-half-hour long film graced cinemas and home TV screens alike with its stunning visuals, intricate storyline, and mystical atmosphere—all backdropped by a mesmerizing, ominous score by Hans Zimmer. 

The first part of Villenueve’s planned duology follows Paul Atriedas, the ducal heir of House Atreides—one of many planetary noble families that reign under the provision of Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV—as he grapples with mysterious dreams of the native Fremen of the desert-planet Arrakis, particularly one girl: not-so-spoiler-alert, it’s Zendaya, whose Chani will have a much more pivotal role in future installments. When Paul’s father, Duke Leto Atriedas, is assigned as fief ruler of Arrakis, our eponymous character is thrust into a political war between House Atreides and House Harkonnen. All the while, he struggles to harness the “Voice”—a powerful ability that allows its wielders to control people through speech alone—under the tutelage of his mother, Lady Jessica, a member of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, whose motives are much more deadlier than expected. 

Phew … that was a lot, I know. And, it’s this scope and ambition that makes Dune such a selectively enjoyable movie. The film jumps from character to character, planet to plant, House to House, with only a brief tagline to inform us of the new location. Compounded with the nearly inaudible, whispering performances, Dune can easily leave viewers lost, grabbing the remote to pause the movie and release an exasperated, What the heck is going on? (or, at least, in my personal experience). Regardless, there’s no doubt that Dune is a challenge. 

Yet, in my opinion, Dune is still absolutely worth the watch. It’s the type of movie that you have to blindly trust; confusion is inevitable, so you might as well just surrender to the experience. And, it’s an amazing experience. Zimmer’s hypnotizing (and loud) composition and the hyper-realistic portrayal of Herbert’s universe truly makes you believe you’re actually there—that the Shai-Hulud (i.e. sandworm) is rearing its head, preparing to swallow you down. It’s this immersive quality that transforms Dune from a convoluted ammogleration of plotlines into a portal to a new and exciting world. 

Overall, I believe Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation is definitely a solid movie. It has action, intrigue, mystery, and dynamic characters—all features that make an objectively good film. But, word of advice: put on the closed captioning. And, a quick Wikipedia summary read at the end never hurts anybody.