Critics and audiences widely consider Denis Villeneuve one of the best and most reliable filmmakers working today. A Villeneuve film is synonym with thought-provoking themes mixed with sheer spectacle, creating experiences unlike any other in modern cinema.
With Dune, Villeneuve adds yet another masterpiece to his already iconic career. In many ways, the Frank Herbert adaptation is his most commercial film yet, but that doesn't make it any less majestic in both scope and execution. However, in a career full of triumphs, where does this particular entry rank? Dune might be one of the best movies of 2021, but is it the best in Denis Villeneuve's career?
Prisoners
Disturbing, engaging, and tense to a fault, Prisoners is a thriller that commands the audience's attention and never lets go. The plot follows a grieving father determined to find his kidnapped daughter and the police detective in charge of the investigation.
Prisoners is a good, old-fashioned missing person thriller featuring an emotionally complex and intriguing narrative bolstered by Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal's considerable talents. Like Villeneuve's other efforts, Prisoners offers a rich atmosphere that enhances a relatively straightforward storyline, creating a cinematic endeavor that challenges the viewer. However, the film's two-and-a-half-hour running time ultimately does the plot a disservice, rendering the ending somewhat unsatisfactory.
Polytechnique
Villeneuve's third film remains his most controversial. Polytechnique is a jarring recount of 1989's École Polytechnique massacre, told from the perspective of two students. The movie avoids passing judgment or picking a side. Instead, it chooses to be an almost neutral witness, recounting only the events without sensationalizing or glossing over them.
The film's ultimate message is showcased in the powerful final scene, a monologue that calls for sympathy ends the experience on a decisively positive note, in stark comparison to the carnage that came before. Some might complain about the movie leaving too much unsaid about the crime and the perpetrator, and they might have a point. Still, Polytechnique remains Villeneuve's most constrained effort, giving it an intimacy that makes it no less impactful.
Sicario
Elevated by a trio of superb performances from Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin, Sicario is Villeneuve at his most unrestrained. The film follows Kate, an FBI agent tasked with bringing down a brutal Mexican drug cartel in the city of Juarez.
Sicario is full of striking cinematic moments and a notoriously inescapable sense of dread, which works both for and against the film. Sicario owes a great deal to the many thrillers and war movies that came before, but it still manages to resonate thanks to its deeper themes. The film indulges in some problematic ideas and, to some degree, sensationalizes the Mexican Drug War. Still, as a cinematic experience, it's challenging, visceral, and ultimately riveting.
Enemy
Enemy is arguably Denis Villeneuve's least accessible film. Equal parts psychological thriller and intense drama, the story centers on two physically identical men with starkly opposing personalities. Starring Jake Gyllenhall at the peak of his abilities, the movie is a pinnacle of genre-bending thrillers.
Still, Enemy isn't easy to understand, nor does it want to be. The film juggles multiple ideas at the time, offering a fascinating but sometimes frustrating exploration of the human subconscious. The provocative, chilling, and unforgettable visuals only enhance the story's tense and dreadful atmosphere. Enemy isn't for everyone, but it remains one of Villeneuve's most evocative and striking efforts, a character study that never once bothers to provide a traditionally satisfying explanation.
Blade Runner 2049
The long-awaited sequel to 1982's Blade Runner did the impossible: it lived up to the expectations and delivered a worthy and thought-provoking follow-up that matched the original's depth. Starring Ryan Gosling and a returning Harrison Ford, Blade Runner 2049 follows K, a replicant who stumbles upon a powerful secret with world-changing consequences.
Like all the best sequels, 2049 justifies its existence by advancing and, at times, challenging the franchise's expanding lore. Its grasp sometimes exceeds its reach, and the shifting tones throughout the narrative become too notorious at various points in the story. Blade Runner 2049 may have flopped at the box office, but it remains an unparalleled visual experience that cemented Villeveuve as a master of his craft and the future king of sci-fi.
Dune
Villeneuve's latest effort is also his most commercial to date. Dune is a worthy adaptation of Frank Herbert's notoriously stubborn 1965 novel about Paul Atreides' journey from heir apparent to intergalactic messiah. The film manages to be loyal to the source material, even if it employs copious exposition to do so.
Dune's famous commentaries on heroism and blind fanaticism are all but missing from part one, and the film doesn't do much to introduce them. However, it majestically captures Herbert's vision, bringing it to life in a way that's more awe-inspiring than anything he has done before. With Dune, Villeneuve has created a near-perfect blockbuster that successfully sets up a sequel while still standing in its own right. It's a tremendous feat and further proof that Villeueve is one of the most talented sci-fi directors of the 21st century.
Incendies
With Incendies, Villeneuve made a name for itself. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad's play of the same name, the film tells the story of two twins, Jeanne and Simon, who travel to an unnamed Middle Eastern country to uncover more about their recently deceased mother's secretive past.
Brutal and unforgiving, Incendies isn't a pleasant watch. It's also a tad melodramatic at times, but the movie's slight flaws become nearly imperceptible thanks to the story's power and resonance. A compelling study on war, legacy, and identity, Incendies marked a breakthrough in Villeneuve's career. Featuring some of the best acting in any of the director's films, Incendies is a challenging experience that offers a surprisingly heartwarming result.
Arrival
It takes a director of considerable talent to make such an ambitious sci-fi story feel so astonishingly human. With Arrival, Villeneuve did just that. Starring Amy Adams in a career-best performance, Arrival follows Louise Banks, a linguist tasked with developing a form of communication with alien visitors.
At its core, Arrival is a story about the most basic human emotion, love, wrapped around a sophisticated sci-fi premise. The film plays with the audience's perspective, challenging them to see further and more profoundly than they usually would. The result is a mind-blowing story grounded by genuinely affecting emotion and powered by Adams' superb work. Arrival is something that audiences seldom see, a film that dares to ask big questions and provides enough answers to awaken the audience's interest and maintain it even after the credits roll.