Dune (2021) | Hollywood Movie

Paul Atreides navigates betrayal, destiny, and desert warfare on the spice-rich planet Arrakis.

Review

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune (2021) is a breathtaking adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic, delivering a visually colossal and narratively dense first half of the novel. Timothée Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides, a noble heir thrust into a galactic power struggle when his family is tasked with overseeing Arrakis, source of the universe’s most valuable resource: spice. Betrayed by House Harkonnen (led by a menacing Stellan Skarsgård), Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), flee into the desert, forging alliances with the Fremen (Javier Bardem, Zendaya).

The film excels in its world-building—sandworms roar, ornithopters hum, and Hans Zimmer’s score thunders—while Greig Fraser’s cinematography turns Arrakis into a character of its own. Chalamet balances vulnerability and gravitas, Ferguson radiates intensity, and Oscar Isaac’s Duke Leto anchors the emotional core. Yet, as “Part One,” it feels incomplete, ending abruptly before Paul’s full rise, which may frustrate newcomers. It’s less a standalone film than a promise of more, but for fans of slow-burn spectacle and Herbert’s lore, it’s a triumph worth the wait for Part Two.