Why Dune Part Two is The Best Picture of 2024

I thought I wouldn’t have to, but here we go…

I will start saying this: I am not a Sci-Fi guy. While I do respect the Star Wars franchise, withstand massive admiration for Lord of The Rings, and certainly appreciative of Harry Potter’s precision; I’ve never been akin to these type of movies (with the exception of The Empire Strikes Back ,1980 and Return of The Jedi, 1983). All of this to say that I was taken to the theatre involuntarily and without really knowing what to expect. Little did I know my life was going to change forever. I had just witnessed “a moment in Film History” (George Carmi, Film Critic, Co-Host of The Reel Tok Show).

After watching this film twenty-three times, in every single format possible on screen, I am certain that Dune Part Two 2024 deserves to be the best picture of 2024. While I could write tirelessly about this film I will try to concise it as much as I can, without really hoping to persuade your opinion but to garner your respect and appreciation for what this film means to the seventh art.

Dune is a literary franchise containing six-books, three main ones, and seventeen in total following the death of the author, Frank Herbert. A dense and complex Sci-Fi world only to be touched by Hollywood in 1984, reluctantly directed by our beloved David Lynch (1946-2025) - Rest In Peace. A complete disaster, a failure in the box office. Since, no one else touched it, though someone might’ve inspired another franchise from it…

The magnitude, and complexity behind the word building left the franchise untouched until now; however it’s precisely those two themes that scare away the current audiences. The most common - yet rare - criticism I get from those who did not love the film it's that it is a big-sci-fi-epic-and-omg-i-dont-like-those-type-of-movies-type-shi’. Fair. I was too, the same omg-i-dont-like-those-movies-but-fine-ill-watch-it-type-shi. And what I concluded is this: Dune Part Two is Cinema; Cinema is a language, and within the Cinema on-screen we find sci-fi. The reason Dune Part Two is Cinema and not a Sci-Fi Epic is because of one man only:

Denis Villeneuve

Perhaps the only man to be trusted with this project. The prominent fact to point out is why him? A passionate cinephile and indie-filmmaker hiding underneath the daunting curtains and glamour of Hollywood. We know his resume, but do we? Denis Villeneuve is one of the most authentic filmmakers of our time because of his love, ambition, understanding, and mostly: his respect for the craft. In his past, the French-Canadian auteur has turned down projects filmmakers could only dream off simply because he thought he wouldn’t do justice to the story, or because he felt he wasn’t ready to take on the magnitude of the productions. – Could you imagine the guts it takes to do that and still come out on top? – The selection and immaculate execution of each film he's done has been carefully premeditated and planned to satisfy his high standards.

Herbert, cultivated Villeneuve as a reader from a very young age. The landmark was made - and predestined for him - since youth. The desert was calling his name, it was meant for him to execute, and he did.

The fundament of my thesis lies in the subtlety of execution Denis had with the narrative – because let's be honest, this could've went wrong. Again — Villeneuve was able to conglomerate a complex Sc-Fi eight-hundred worded tale that tells us about the dangers and imbalances of religion, power, and politics for our humanity, with a futuristic yet primitive scope. While building a ‘mainstream’ or ‘commercial’ storyline that was entertaining to those who came for the action, the soundtrack, the costumes, the special effects. He also expanded on the characters we knew; while giving room to those characters we hadn’t met without distorting or losing us from the central plot of the story. But the mastery, in my opinion, is that he led all of these complex narrative strings through love.

Paul and Chani’s love story is what carries the narrative by humanizing the fantastical world we're being presented, captivating our attention while simultaneously winning our compassion and comprehension of a fantastical, futuristic, and apocalyptic complex world. Their love guides us through the narrative while raising the stakes, and forcing us to care; because who doesn’t like a love story? (This is still Hollywood Goddamn!) And it’s that same love-story that ends up cornering us at the very end. Now that… That’s storytelling mastery.

With that said, part of what makes Dune Part Two stand out from its contemporaries is the now seldom authentic feel that most modern movies lack. It’s an unproven fact - and I’ll risk myself here - that movies filmed on location cultivate a more authentic impact on the viewers. The presence of earth in the big screen is undeniably more powerful than even the greatest technology we have today. Movies like Jurassic Park 1993, The Revenant 2016, Cast Away 2000, Lawrence of Arabia 1962, and many more, transcended time precisely because it was real, we saw it, we almost felt it, it was there; therefore, we were too. But Dune Part Two went beyond that…

“That scene of the sand-worm surfing the sand is one of the best I’ve ever seen. Ever” (Steven Spielberg to Denis Villeneuve, The Imperial Commune) The Sand-worm sequence were Paul Atreides rides the sand-worm to become one with the desert, is, without hyperbole; one of the, if not, the greatest cinematic sequence I've ever seen in my life. Watching that scene in IMAX 70mm for the first time was breathtaking. With the help of Gerd Nefzer, Special Effects Expert, and his team brought us some of the most spectacular sequences ever to be seen on the big-screen by taking Sci-Fi filmmaking to the next level. The Worm Riding sequence deserves its own article. Since to our surprise, wasn’t quite CGI, and I say quite since “All of these shots have been made in the real landscape. I insisted that there will be no CGI element here apart from of course: the worm” (Denis Villeneuve for Vanity Fair, 2024). Among many other action sequences that transcended technology because of how they were carefully shot and meticulously planned. Nevertheless, these shots wouldn’t have caused such ecstasy if it wasn’t for the spectacular Sound Design of this movie.

Sound Designer Richard King went above and beyond to make sure every sound in both of these movies acted as a web that subtly and at times inadvertently submerged us into an otherworldly experience. To really fathom the work behind this you must understand that “every sonic detail is meticulously crafted to create an unparalleled immersive experience, from the roaring desert winds to the ominous sounds of machinery. Attention to detail in sound capture, such as the use of condenser microphones buried underground in the desert, demonstrates the production team's commitment to authenticity and technical excellence”(Enhanced Media Studio on The Sound Design of Dune Part II). And all of this in direct harmony with the man that has redefined film score history since he got here. Do you remember who? Because it appears the Academy didn’t.

The fact that Hans Zimmer was snubbed from the best soundtrack category in this Academy Awards is a disgrace. His continuous innovative methods to produce some of the greatest themes in film history improves with every picture he works on, and Dune Part Two was no exception. Each theme was made with innovative and ancestral techniques as well as for newly invented instruments to emulate the esoterically unique geophonies and tunes from Arakis. The veteran musician made sure that “Each composition is a multi-dimensional exploration, fusing synthesizers, orchestration, and sound design into an immersive and thrilling sonic experience” (Enhanced Media Studio on The Sound Design of Dune Part II). Incredible, I know; however, the sound and score this movie provides us wouldn’t have had the same effect without having an equally potent visuals on screen.

Greig Fraser and Patrice Vermette brought us some of the most outstanding visuals and world building we have ever seen. The cinematography and production design of this movie transcends the usual Hollywood epic movie because of its boldness, perfection, and delicacy.

“Every shot has a premise of reality” (Greig Fraser for Dolby Creator Talks on The Cinematography of Dune Part Two). The lack of CGI along with Villeneuve’s insistence on the realist feel of the visuals delayed the filming of some scenes, simply because Fraser insisted on calculating the exact positioning of the sun, redesigned sand dunes, and worked extensibly with the rigging team to shape some of the most astonishing natural lighting we have seen in a sci-fi epic of this magnitude. The breathtaking Harkonnen-Gladiator black and white sequence must be recognized for its mastery. Having the colour code change IN-CAMERA through a technical avant-garde technique that Fraser used to emulate the infra-red perception Gedy-Prime planet’s atmosphere produces on our eyes turning the whole world black & white; amplifying the totalitarian regime the Harkonnen’s are subjected to. A bold lighting statement in a film of this calibre to juxtapose two different planets and their social structures is genius, in my opinion.

However, the blunt decisions go beyond the camera. The world building and design through both pictures stands out because of their immaculate ability to conceive a minimalist advanced civilization, to a marginalized futuristic indigenous culture seen through the architecture and the design of the buildings that compound it. The detail in the Stillsuits, and overall costume design throughout the picture is astonishing.

While some might disagree with me, I believe the editing is world-class, starting by Joe Walker's timing. Each scene is perfectly paced, making a two-hour and a half epic feel just right. Not too long, not too short. Once again, through the use of the most basic cinematic editing techniques Walker creates jarring cuts, smooth dialogues, and truly cinematic sequences. From the use of voice-over narration to conceive Jessica’s thoughts, to the use of flashbacks/flash-forwards to showcase Paul’s visions, to exemplifying the witchery of the Bene Gesserit visually.

Nevertheless, I believe the masterful editing is best exemplified in the scene where the Fremen take down a Harkonnen Spice Harvester in the desert, the first time we see Chani and Paul fight together. In comparison to other action sequences, the shot selection is very calculated and cinematic, subtly opening the focal length as the battle progresses. The sequence starts with a symbolic Mohadib; the desert mouse inspecting a harvesting device. A slow start that emphasizes on the mystics of the desert while giving us a true-to-size perspective of the spice harvesting machinery. The Fremen attack comes unexpectedly. We get close-ups of their uniforms, their secret techniques in action, and the real friction and danger that is felt with every battle for Spice on a day to day.

Amid the action we get the intimate and frantic collaboration between Chani and Paul. Without losing verisimilitude Walker gives us an intimate moment between our protagonist to see them at work up-close. The tight exchange is tense as ornithopters fly around them, shooting at the Fremen, almost hitting Chani, pushing her to trust in Paul for strategic battle decisions.

Paul ends up risking his life for Chani to shoot down the enemy aircraft as the Spice Harvester moves to uncover Paul from the bullets coming from above. He runs; she shoots. We see it from all angles when suddenly… Ground zero. There’s a few seconds of silence, accompanied by Chani’s childish laugh running towards Paul on a wide-angle, in celebration, as the ornithopter falls to the ground forming a - perfectly timed - huge explosion… I’m telling you, editing doesn’t get much better than that.

Despite the great cinematography, fabulous Production Design, precise Editing techniques, and meticulous Sound Design along with a magnificent Score, and every Cinematic element in this picture; the magic, the dialogue, the impact was brought to us by a galactic all-time great cast. Giving room to some of the most spectacular performances we've seen.

While I would love to praise every performance, I’ll limit myself to a few starting by saying that there is “No one in this planet who‘s playing Paul Atreides, better than this man… Timothée Chalamet has elevated himself into stardom" (George Carmi, Film Critic, Co-Host of The Reel Tok Show) cementing his place as the next generational icon through his interpretation of Paul Atreides; while demonstrating his acting-range through his Bob Dylan bio-pic this same year.

While some may disagree, I believe Zendaya’s ability to evoke a million emotions and eat-up a few lines through the power of her gaze - the new female gaze - is breathtaking. Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin brought the experience, nostalgia, and comedy this movie needed, while bringing with them a different generation of viewers to this contemporary epic.

To finally end the praise with the jaw-dropping, imposing, and truly viscous performance Austin Butler gave us as Feyd Rautha. Like the great Marlon, every second of screen-time he had was truly his, dominating the screen with his mere presence. A brutal character that left us wanting more. Brilliant.

Rebecca Ferguson, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, and many more showed up. All of this to say we must be grateful, that these extraordinary artists were able to transport us through the narrative with their artistry and mastery of the form by reinventing themselves through the world Villeneuve created, and boy did they do it well. Every performance brought this movie a step closer to greatness.

Now, you might be thinking “well if I had all those actors and money in the world I could do just that” Perhaps, sure, but for you to put it into perspective I brought some recent examples; Lightyear 2022 (yes, the animated movie) costed $200 Million USD. But if that doesn’t do it, let’s see some more: Avengers Endgame 2019, $356 Million USD; Avatar The Way of Water 2022, $350 Million; Star Wars The Force Awakens 2015, $447 Million USD… “Well if I had all those actors and money in the world I could do just that” no my friend, believe or not, all these great costumes, lighting, goddamn planets, and sensational stars costed Mr. Warner a whopping $180 Million. And to make it even better, the actors reduced their salary to have the budget allocated in production costs. Every penny was well spent to bring this masterpiece to life. That is the quintessential essence of movie magic at its peak! Absolute, genuine, collective collaboration for a dream.

To conclude is to say that all these elements and practices amounted to a few repetitive words:
Spectacular. Perfect. & Precise.
Yet, and despite all explanations there are a thousand elements I missed about this production.
Dune Part Two truly was a moment in film history, a moment I am fortunate I got to live in the biggest screen possible. A moment I will be able to retell. A film that will transcend time. A film that reminded me of why I’m pursuing this field, with it being a vivid example of what this realm can do, can achieve, can evoke… Words escape me to conclude this article the same way the movie did. I believe this cast and crew doesn’t need an award to celebrate what this movie means to the world and to cinema as a whole. I believe the people have spoken to say this is the best. The best picture. The best film it could have ever been.

Thank you Denis, for us, you are the winner. Today and always, thank you for sharing your childhood dream with us, with such care.

To Denis Villeneuve,
From a Young Film Lover.

Written by Tonino