A talking fish on the chopping board partly narrates this interesting if weird non-linearly-structured sophomore feature by Villeneuve that is tonally all over the place, as it explores how cosmic connections mediate between actions and consequences.
A master of the deliberately-paced blockbuster, Villeneuve’s attempt at adapting Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel is admirable in its storytelling clarity and stunning world-building.
It doesn’t quite top the religious experience that is the 1982 film, but Denis Villeneuve and DP Roger Deakins have created a visually and thematically expansive arthouse blockbuster that deepens the mythology of its universe.
Chanelling the free spirit of the French New Wave, Villeneuve’s first feature is stylistically bold but falls short as a narrative about two ex-lovers who cannot be together.
You are in the hands of a consummate filmmaker bringing both science-fiction and humanistic elements seamlessly together in a film that is one of 2016’s finest.
Villeneuve’s film builds suspense like a worker laying bricks – slowly but surely, giving us a largely solid Mexican cartel infiltration thriller that packs a strong punch.
A strong mood exercise that brings to the fore a tense psychological mystery that is both twisting and twisted.
Denis Villeneuve’s assured direction and Roger Deakins’ evocative cinematography elevates this seemingly generic suburban mystery-thriller into something that will shock and haunt you.
A slightly overdrawn film, but haunting and emotionally resonant in its own way, at the same time announcing Denis Villeneuve as a cinematic force to be reckoned with.
Eternality Tan 