Later this year we expect the release of Denis Villeneuve’s third installment in his Dune series. In this article we take a look back at Dune Part Two (2024), the second movie in the trilogy. Greg and Dave discuss the movie in the podcast excerpt video below and further down, Deniz Arslan shares his thoughts on the sci-fi epic…
This time, Villeneuve delivers not just stunning visuals but a gripping, culturally rich narrative, as Paul’s transformation unfolds with striking intensity, strong performances, and unforgettable moments — even if a few elements, like Zendaya and the music, don’t fully land.
Dune: Part Two has far more responsibility than the first film. The first movie brought us, together with the Atreides, into an unknown world — the desert planet — and before we could even get used to the heat of this planet, we witnessed the collapse of our dynasty.
Dune (2021) didn’t offer a major narrative innovation. It wasn’t very different from the usual films about thrones and dynasties. Its only groundbreaking side was its visuals. The visual effects were so good, its depiction of technology so far beyond our perception, that everyone was amazed by it. While I, too, was captivated by what I saw on screen, I couldn’t really focus on the story being told. And for a film responsible for building an entire universe, we can’t really say its narrative and screenplay were flawless either.
But the second film’s greatest strength is, on the contrary, its extraordinary storytelling. While watching it, I sometimes caught myself thinking, “This film feels like the embodiment of a hundred years of humanity’s experience in cinema and storytelling condensed into a single work.”
Dune: Part Two takes place entirely in the desert. Together with Paul and his mother, we take refuge among the Fremen people, who live a Bedouin life. We try to adapt to the desert’s atmosphere, and at the same time, we witness Paul’s rise to become both the spiritual and military leader of this people. The desert scenes were actually filmed in real Middle Eastern deserts. I don’t know how much green screen or CGI was used to complete this atmosphere, but it draws you into that suffocating desert air with great mastery.
The film doesn’t only benefit from the natural beauty of the Middle East; the story it tells also bears striking similarities to Islamic and Middle Eastern culture. So much so that, if we removed the technological elements, someone familiar with the history and culture of the Middle East might even think this is not fiction but a historical film. Paul’s story resembles that of many prophets. Moses was a leader of his people; Muhammad was a commander who personally led battles. It’s clear that in creating Paul’s story, they drew inspiration both from these prophetic narratives and from Middle Eastern mythology in general.
As someone used to seeing references to Jesus in Western-made films, the fact that this film centers Middle Eastern culture created a comforting feeling for me. Because for once, you feel like you’re watching a new story. I don’t know whether this choice is unique to the film itself or if the books are also like this, since I haven’t read them.
In the first film, the Atreides dynasty ruled over a dark, Nordic planet. Their arrival on the desert planet created a striking contrast in atmosphere. In this film, we don’t experience such an impressive transition to another planet, but to make us feel we’ve entered a different culture, the scenes set in the Harkonnen dynasty are shot in black and white. I still don’t quite understand the artistic reason for that choice, but it’s certainly aesthetically mesmerizing. The arena scenes, reminiscent of gladiator battles, reminded me of some of Stanisław Szukalski’s paintings.
I’d also like to talk about the scene where Paul Atreides declares his messiahship. The thought I mentioned earlier — “This film feels like the embodiment of a hundred years of humanity’s experience in cinema and storytelling condensed into a single work” — came to me exactly while watching that scene. It’s a masterpiece through and through, in every element it contains. The way Paul convinces people he’s the messiah, by speaking to them entirely through their own faith, and the sight of the crowd that had just attacked him now kneeling before him… It’s impossible not to be moved. The idea of a person promising to lead you to paradise is, in itself, deeply stirring.
Before watching this film, I would have thought Timothée Chalamet was the last person in the world who could convince me he was a messiah. But his confidence and fury here are so compelling that it’s impossible not to be affected. Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem accompany Chalamet perfectly — one as both a compassionate mentor and a loyal servant, the other as a blindly devoted follower. These powerful performances elevate Chalamet even further.
Zendaya’s performance, on the other hand, is the only weak link in this film. It doesn’t exactly stand out awkwardly, but among such strong performances, it inevitably feels subdued. Yet I don’t blame her for that. She’s been playing the role of a depressive but confident, angry young woman for so long that whenever she tries something new, she ends up feeling increasingly ordinary.
Famous directors have their own signature styles — traits everyone enjoys talking about, but that I’ve grown tired of hearing. Tarantino’s foot fetish, Snyder’s love for slow motion, or Nolan’s films having a fast pace… Denis Villeneuve’s touch, however, lies in how he handles technology and gigantic creatures. The massive spaceship in Arrival, the spider scene in Enemy… Here too, he portrays technology and creatures with a grandeur that feels far beyond human comprehension.
The sandworms, the ships that look like giant mirror spheres, and especially how in the first film the technology looked as natural as a living organism — these are things rarely seen in cinema. Villeneuve wants to make sure what you see overwhelms you with its magnificence. That’s one of the most defining features of his directing style.
As for the music — I have to say it didn’t excite me as much as the first film’s score did. Hans Zimmer’s passion from the first Dune isn’t really felt here. Despite the film’s many epic and grand moments, there aren’t many memorable melodies that truly match those scenes. It feels as if the music only aims to support the atmosphere, without wanting to stand out on its own. Still, I loved the film so much that I didn’t see this as a flaw.
There’s a certain magic in film trilogies; usually, the second installment is always the best and most unforgettable. Dune: Part Two continues that tradition. I have no doubt that Villeneuve will make something even greater in Dune: Part Three, but I can easily say that Dune: Part Two is not only the best of this series but also one of the finest works in the history of cinema.
Written by Deniz Arslan. Here’s a link to his original post on Medium.
That concludes our review of Dune Part Two
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