“Dreams make good stories, but everything important happens when we’re awake.”

-Duncan Idaho, Dune (2021)

This quote has never been more true because Dune is better than anything one could ever dream.

A visually stunning thriller, based on the Dune book series by Frank Herbert, starring Timothée Chalamet (Paul Atreides), Zendaya (Chani), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica), Jason Momoa (Duncan Idaho), Oscar Issac (Leto Adreides), Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck), Stellan Skarsgård (Vladimir Harkonnen), Dave Bautista (Glossu Rabban), David Dastamalchian (Piter De Vries), and Javier Bardem (Stilgar) has taken the nation by storm, a sand storm. 

Based in an alternate and technologically futuristic universe where spice, a substance necessary for intergalactic travel, is highly coveted. The spice is most abundant in the dunes of the planet of Arrakis. 

In the society of Dune, the entire relevant universe is mainly ruled in a somewhat medieval feudal system. At the top there is the emperor, and under him serving the traditional roles of the nobles are the great houses. On the side, serving the traditional role of the Catholic Church, is the Bene Gesserit. They advise the emperor & the leaders of the great houses, try to orchestrate events to their benefit, and have mystical powers. 

For 80 years the Great House of Harkonnen was given sovereignty over Arrakis by the Emperor, and they mined spices from the desert. This great resources bestowed upon them vast wealth, surpassing even that of the emperor, but this came with great expense. Through their brutality and harshness, they became almost inhumane and evil. 

After those 80 years of large profits, all of a sudden the Emperor replaces the House of Harkonnen with the House of Atreides. Given this is such a coveted position, it undoubtedly creates much tension all around, however this is only the beginning. 

Paul, the heir to the House of Atreides and son of Leto Adreides (current Duke of Atreides), is the main focus in this thriller. Not only being the heir, he is also the son of Lady Atreides; one of the Bene Gesserit, who raises him in their mystical ways. For thousands of years the Bene Gesserit crossed bloodlines in hope of creating a superior being called the Kwisatz Haderach, a being that can bend space and time. 

The film captions the rise of the Kwisatz Haderach and the animosity between The House of Atreides, House of Harkonnen, and the Emperor. There are twists and turns, betrayal, love, and most of all, violence. 

While the plot is spectacular, and director Dennis Villeneuve took what were originally labeled as difficult books to read and made it into an easy to follow movie, the real aspect in which Dune shines is its visual component. 

The scenes showing the planet of Arrakis are breathtaking. One sees the vastness of such a desert, the size of the creatures lurking, the striking colors of the Fremen’s (the native peoples of Arrakis) eyes, and the harshness of life on Arrakis.

I personally loved the fight scenes. There were large, visually spectacular explosions making one almost feel as if they are there, the large fleets of space vessels, and the intensity of the melee fights. 

Dune has a little something for everyone: action, science fiction, emotion, betrayal, mystique, and a little bit of love too. Even if one was dropped into the middle of the movie with no context it would still be enjoyed. 

Dune is part one of what is meant to be a two part series, so naturally it ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger. While some viewers may find this frustrating, it ensures they’ll return for the sequel, hopefully coming soon. 

Such a spectacular movie deserves an equally spectacular recommendation. This is a film that everyone should watch, no matter if they liked the books or not, as it is both visually thrilling as having a fantastical plot.