A little over 10 years ago I started really getting into film. I’ve loved movies since I was a child, but I hit a point when I turned 13-14 and I was growing a hunger for something more than what would release at my local 3-screen theater (mostly the latest action adventure/family fare). One of the most impactful films to me at this point was Denis Villeneuve’s PRISONERS. It filled me with so much dread, unlike anything I had ever felt from filmmaking before; but I revered it for that reason and it made me keenly aware of a director’s purpose when it comes to mood and affecting an audience. I knew anything this director would make, I wanted to see it and I wanted to be inspired.

As my ion for movies and path as an artist grew over the years, I felt a sense of nourishment each time Villeneuve released a new film. I learned so much from the way he deals with characters, themes, tone and craft as his pictures grew larger in scope and vision. By the time I entered college, committing myself to a career as an artist, I saw BLADE RUNNER 2049 and was awestruck by the contrast in what he was putting in front of audiences compared to the mainstream, but with a significantly larger budget than his previous works. It was colossal to me, an invigoration that made me hope I could reach a fraction of the impact as an artist that he had on myself.

Never did I think something like DUNE would be the commercial success it has become. DUNE PART ONE was this beacon of light for me through the pandemic and working a shitty job at a multiplex, that one thing I was looking forward to; and around it’s release I wanted to feel like I had some impact on it’s success, getting friends & movie-goers that came through the doors excited for it or at least to give it a chance.

And now, we’ve arrived at the culmination of Denis’ decades long love for this story, welcoming packed houses to ire this magnificent piece of big budget cinema. I genuinely can’t describe how I feel, even after a second time. It’s grandiosity, the bleak mythos being handled exactly as I knew Denis could. It sures even my wildest expectations & will forever be one of the most influential movies I get to experience in my lifetime.

I know this isn’t much of a review as it is about my connection to cinema and Denis’ direct impact on me. But you’ll get to suffer through at least a few more reviews as I continuously view this over the next few weeks. I can’t wait to hear more and more people’s thoughts.