Every Denis Villeneuve movie ranked from worst to best

French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve Has under his belt an impressive portfolio of critically acclaimed films, and ranking the best (and “worst”) pictures of the director over the years is not easy. Villeneuve is arguably one of the most accomplished directors in recent cinema, dominating every genre he explores while being able to innovate the accorded Hollywood remake. However, even in this context, some of his efforts are certainly more successful than others. His last efforts with the Don Franchise, in addition to being spectacular Blade Runner 2049 And ArrivalRaised him in the ranks One of the best sci-fi directors of all time.

Villeneuve first became interested in sci-fi comics, which then led to a passion for movies. He started making short films in high school, Inspired by the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, And the original Blade RunnerThe influence of which can be seen in his work. Villeneuve’s early career consisted primarily of short films, with next door, A largely wordless drama depicting what is a ritualistic gastronomic carnage, garnering particular attention. Although the film received a special jury citation for the Toronto International Film Festival for Best Canadian Short Film, it would not be fair to put it against his more recent features, especially when it comes to production value and overall impact.

August 32 On Earth (1998)

As Denis Villeneuve’s debut feature film, August 32 on Earth was a promising look at what would become Villeneuve’s artistic signature: moving images of human frailty and unforgettable visuals. The short, French-language drama (alternatively titled August 32 on Terre) Follows the photo model Simone, who decides to conceive a child with her best friend Philippe after a traumatizing car accident. Despite having a girlfriend, Philip agrees, on the condition that the child is conceived in the desert.

While the story is intriguing and the characters’ sly humor is often quite charming, too much is overlooked in the film’s plot to keep viewers truly invested. For one, there are no fully realized characters other than Philippe and Simone – although French-Canadian actors Alexis Martin and Pascal Busires’ respective performances are one of the film’s best attributes, it’s strange that the only other main character in the film (Philippe’s girlfriend Juliette) is barely given a few seconds of screen time. Despite his flaws, Villeneuve’s talent for creating unique visuals and choosing memorable rock tracks makes August 32 on Earth A fun (albeit, highly clichéd) watch for Villeneuve enthusiasts.

Polytechnic (2009)

Denis Villeneuve’s controversial third feature, Polytechnicis a deeply disturbing dramatization of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre. The film is often described as the French-Canadian answer to Gus Van Sant’s elephant, Which was inspired by the Columbine shooting of 1999. However, where Elephant Mimics the nationwide sense of helplessness felt after the real-life massacre it is (loosely) based on, Polytechnic assumes a more optimistic approach, suggesting empathy is the only response to anger.

Villeneuve’s fictional villain mirrors the real shooter, who was motivated by a rage against feminism and a desire for revenge. Although Villeneuve is more than willing to showcase the perpetrator’s wavering mental health and unflinching cruelty, he never once mentions his name; Instead, the whole arrangement is framed in the eyes of survivors. In the context of social commentary (especially on the delicate subject of school shootings), the film is almost ideal in the sense that it is stylized enough to make real-life events “entertaining,” but avoids sensationalizing tragedy in a way that would be. insensitive. Compared to Villeneuve’s other films, Polytechnic is modest and calm, yet undeniably haunting.

Maelstrom (2000)

While audiences today have Guillermo del Toro’s The shape of water To give thanks for mysterious, sentient sea creatures, Villeneuve’s 2000 film Maelstrom Talented viewers the first romantic drama narrated by a talking fish. It stars Marie-Josee Croze as Bibi Champagne, a depressed businesswoman who falls in love with the son of a Norwegian fisherman she killed in a hit-and-run accident (yet A failed suicide attempt).

If that wasn’t weird enough, the film also features what is perhaps the most iconic Villeneuve scene of all time, when the talking fish’s head is chopped off Only As he is about to share the secret to world peace. Although the film’s non-linear narrative often loops in confusing ways in an attempt to complicate a relatively simple message, Villeneuve shows his knack for strange stories and heavily stylized visual effects; Skills that would lead him through increasingly impressive projects as his filmmaking career progressed.

Enemy (2013)

A bold adaptation of Jose Saramago’s award-winning novella the double, Denis Villeneuve once described Enemy Like “four” for prisonerswho was released the same year. Although Enemy Originating after a night out drinking with the film’s star, Jake Gyllenhaal, it’s more than just a side project – it’s one of Villeneuve’s most horrifying films to date. Gyllenhaal plays two physically identical residents of the same unnamed Canadian town: introverted college history professor Adam Bell and irritable actor Anthony Clair. One night while watching a movie, Adam spots an extra who looks exactly like him, and proceeds to search tirelessly for his identity.

As always, Villeneuve proves that he is an expert at manipulating audiences, as the question of whether the two men are actually different people (or alternate sides of a single disordered personality) haunts viewers through most of the film. It is a horror movie without the blood and gore, relying instead on bleak visuals and loud music to evoke an unparalleled sense of anxiety. Although the “doubles” trope is explored in cinema quite often, Villeneuve manages to exploit it without resorting to any overly ambitious gimmicks.

Prisoners (2013)

Villeneuve’s introduction to Hollywood and English-language films came in the form of prisoner, Which focuses on the theme of cyclical violence the director so often explores. Even with an exponentially larger budget than his early films (most of which probably went to hiring Hugh Jackman), prisoners Don’t neglect Villeneuve’s commitment to big, bold ideas – it just grants him a bigger canvas. The long thriller focuses on the abduction of two girls – Anna and Joy – in suburban Pennsylvania and the subsequent search by the police for the suspected abductor. After the police arrest an apparently (humanly) crippled young suspect, only to release him after he failed to provide any useful information, the father of one of the missing girls decides to take matters into his own hands.

prisoners Undoubtedly marked a new chapter in Villeneuve’s career, which further cemented his ability to portray horrific tragedies through mood and meaning, not just plot. on the surface, prisoners It may seem like a typical crime melodrama, complete with a clever yet drawn-out ending that may leave some viewers unsatisfied. However, superb acting on behalf of Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman (probably best known for portraying Wolverine) coupled with Villeneuve’s uncanny ability to create chilling cinematic atmospheres make it a captivating film nonetheless.

Dune (2021)

in many ways, Don is arguably Villeneuve’s most impressive cinematic achievement. While many of his other films are more cohesive, well-rounded stories, his take on Frank Herbert’s quasi-biblical science-fiction tome does something many filmmakers have long assumed was impossible—successfully bringing the story of ​Paul Atreides and the planet Arrakis. to the big screen. With sumptuous visual effects, jaw-dropping sights and sounds, and a sheer sense of scale unmatched by any of his other movies to date, Don Is certainly impressive to look at and experience. That said, there are problems with the feature.

For starters, a sub-heading that flashes in the film’s opening warns that the two-and-a-half-hour epic is in fact only technically Dunn: Part One. As a result, the narrative is necessary to tell a complete, self-contained story. This makes it difficult to judge Don Only on its own terms, as it is clear Villeneuve sees it as only one part of a much richer story. Like other truncated adaptations of celebrated stories (including the likes of Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows And these Twilight saga), the schism in Dunn S Central story, unfortunately, makes the film in and of itself less satisfying than it could have been. Although the density of Herbert’s intricate world-building requires a less traditional approach, the simple fact is that, as an isolated film, Don It simply lacks the narrative of some of Villeneuve’s other projects.

Incendies (2010)

incendies Takes place in the Middle East and is based on Wajdi Mouawad’s play of the same name and concerns Canadian twins who travel to their mother’s native country in the middle of a bloody civil war in an attempt to uncover secrets from her past. After their mother’s death, the twins Jean and Simon must go on a kind of “scavenger hunt” based on her last will and testament, assisted only by notary Jean Lebel. Their peaceful journey is interspersed with haunting images of their mother’s time in (what appears to be) Lebanon during the nation’s wretched civil war.

Everything from the landscape to incredible special effects simulating war is impressively rendered, showcasing Villeneuve’s talent for technical filmmaking as a way to advance complex narratives. If the film was only about Nawal (the children’s mother), it might be too overwhelming to be as effective as it is. However, in combining her violent past with the modern perspective of Jeanne and Simon, Villeneuve weaves a story that forces viewers to reflect on their own morality and inherited identity. incendies is a simultaneously heartbreaking, heartfelt film, combining all the horror of Sicario Or Polytechnic with all humanity of Arrival.

Sicario (2015)

In a film review of Sicario For those New York TimesAO Scott writes, “A lot of directors make violent movies. Denis Villeneuve makes movies about violence, which is not quite the same thing. in SicarioVilleneuve visits the United States-Mexico border to showcase some of the world’s most senseless, brutal acts of violence. The film tells the story of Kate Masser (played by Emily Blunt), an FBI agent who is part of the task force against high-ranking members of the Sonora drug cartel. Although there is a fine line between exploiting the moral ambiguity of the drug trade and using it as a vessel for commentary on unnecessary violence, Villeneuve does an excellent job of making the film both serious and entertaining without succumbing to stereotypes of the genre.

Violent images and amazing sound editing make Sicario A classic “Villeneuve”, although it is similar enough to the typical action drama that viewers who are not quite ready to deal with the director’s more existential films may still be drawn to it. Sicario’s useless sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado was released in 2018, although Villeneuve’s notable absence from the project likely contributed to the general lack of enthusiasm surrounding the film. With one of the most original car chase sequences of all time and a nerve-shredding climax, Sicario is a must-see classic of the genre.

Arrival (2016)

A poetic exploration of empathy and communication, Arrival is Denis Villeneuve’s best film to date. Based on the 1998 short story Story of your life By Ted Chiang, the film follows a linguist (Amy Adams) enlisted by the United States Army to attempt communication with extraterrestrial aliens who have arrived on Earth, in the hope that they will make contact before mounting tensions lead to war. Villeneuve once again innovates the science-fiction genre by proving that there can be more than just senseless violence and loud gunshots. Arrival Advertises new ideas and hope, a meditation on understanding the unknown rather than outright rejecting it.

Like many of his films, Villeneuve uses a back-and-forth narrative style that gives audiences an alternate view of Louise’s life, although for much of the film it is unclear whether it is past, future, or not. Powerful performances by Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, stunning cinematography by Bradford Young and an incredible script by Eric Heisserer Arrival One of the best sci-fi films of the 2010s, if not the last century.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Denis Villeneuve’s first foray into true blockbuster filmmaking, Blade Runner 2049 is the director’s take on a sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 original Blade Runner. in Blade Runner 2049The exact future Blade Runner Projected is less than two years away. Officer K (Ryan Gosling) is a new blade runner for the LAPD who uncovers a secret with the potential to destabilize society and the course of civilization. He then goes on a quest to find Rick Deckard (reprised by Harrison Ford), a former Blade Runner who has been missing for 30 years. Villeneuve does his best to honor the original film while putting his own spin on the franchise; Having Ridley Scott on board as executive producer certainly didn’t hurt, although Villeneuve was so intimidated by him while filming he politely asked him to leave the set.

Like most big blockbusters and highly anticipated sequels, Blade Runner 2049 Has a hefty budget to work with ($150-185 million). Despite this, it did not do as well at the box office as Villeneuve had hoped, although this can probably be blamed on other big-name releases launching at the same time in 2017. Although the film seems to focus more on landscape and atmosphere than the Human qualities, which the director usually explores, he still manages to connect the complex stories and primal fears, which are unique in Villeneuve’s films.

Don: Part II (2024)

Dunn: Part Two is undoubtedly impressive in its sheer scale alone and makes a nearly 3-hour movie feel much shorter than its runtime, which is an achievement in and of itself. while repetitive in time, Dunn: Part Two is an epic in every sense of the word, from its world-building, its visual effects, and almost everything in between. Villeneuve achieved new heights in his filmmaking career by holding the reins of the massive budding sci-fi franchise in what many, including legendary director Christopher Nolan, called his Empire strikes back.

Dunn: Part Two Takes what was great about Arrival, don, And Blade Runner 2049 – Incredible immersive value, beautiful and thoughtful visual composition, well-paced epic narrative and outstanding ensemble cast – and improves every quality. Villeneuve’s distinct aesthetic style, often full of cold color tones and high contrast, put his own stamp on the Don franchise and adds tangibility and legitimacy to a book series that was once considered inaccessible to a wider audience. Dunn: Part Two is the best example to date of Denis Villeneuve The vision is not bound by financial or practical restrictions and could be the director’s magnum opus.