Awards Radar Community: What Is Your Favorite Denis Villeneuve Film?

Yesterday, we asked about your thoughts on Dune. Today, we’re getting a little broader. As you probably know, the only reason Dune is even a thing again is because of filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. As the director has transitioned from international cinema to moody mid-level dramas, now to big budget science fiction, he’s retained an auteur style that distinguishes him in a big way. Whether it’s his Oscar winning Incendies or Arrival, Villeneuve makes makes films that you almost always are curious to see. To that end, with Dune finally in general release, we’re curious which of Villeneuve’s movies are your favorite?

As a reminder, this is what I had to say about Denis Villeneuve’s work on Dune:

Denis Villeneuve was passionate about this and it shows. Not just directing but co-writing with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, Villeneuve wants to capture your imagination at all turns. Having composer Hans Zimmer working overtime to immerse you in the sounds of Dune doesn’t hurt, nor does the awe-inspiring visuals from cinematographer Greig Fraser. The editing from Joe Walker keeps you focused in all of the right places. The editing is where this easily could have crumbled, so he deserves amble credit. Villeneuve the director is really knocking it out of the park here. However, Villeneuve the filmmaker on the whole is not without fault here. The pacing does drag at times (though Walker’s editing still does a lot of really impressive work), while the screenplay by Roth, Spaihts, and Villeneuve does feel self-serious at times. They don’t shy away from the influences of the genre that originated here, though they also don’t add much new to it.

For many, the answer to this question is probably Arrival. Others are very partial to Enemy, though I think personally that Prisoners and Sicario have become underrated among Villeneuve’s flicks. Interestingly, I can see a number of people going Dune already here, though I’m also curious where Blade Runner 2049 lands. Plus, what of some of his other films from before he started working in Hollywood? There are definitely options, to say the least.

This is how I would rank the Villeneuve films that I’ve seen:

7. Enemy

6. Blade Runner 2049

5. Incendies

4. Dune

3. Arrival

2. Sicario

1. Prisoners

Now, it’s your turn…which movie from Denis Villeneuve is your number one? Could Dune be poised to take that spot? All answers are on the table, of course. We’re eager to find out your answer…

What is your favorite Denis Villeneuve film? Let us know!