Dune (2021)

Dune, by Frank Herbert, is one of the most important science fiction books ever written, and it has inspired some of the most memorable science fiction films ever made. However, as proven by Jodorowsky's Dune, a 2013 documentary about avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's disastrous effort to film Herbert's text, attempts to adapt Herbert's book have been notoriously troublesome.

While David Lynch was able to adapt the novel, it was widely regarded as a flop when it was released in 1984—though it has since gained a devoted cult following, and Lynch has since expressed interest in redoing his adaptation. Denis Villeneuve—the man behind sci-fi classics Enemy, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049—applied his now-signature novelistic technique and was able to succeed where others had failed the third time around.

Villeneuve tells the narrative of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), a young man who is destined for greatness but must first survive a journey through the universe's most deadly planet. Dune is a brilliantly shot epic that is as intelligent as it is beautiful, and a sequel is already in the works.

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya