Conor Bryce sifts through the sands of Dune: Part Two.
There’s a moment during one of its many dazzling set pieces that sums up Dune: Part Two. The action moves from the ridiculously epic sight of skyscraper-sized worms charging an underprepared enemy base to a ground skirmish following a single warrior brutally dispatching body after body. She pauses, turns, wild-eyed, to face us. Her expression says it all: “Did you see that?”
It’s that combination of grandiose scale and singular character moments—spectacle and intimacy—that makes this second part of a planned trilogy a remarkable feat of moviemaking, and an absolute joy to watch. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is not just a success; it’s a profound experience.
The action picks up shortly after Part One. Exiled Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet, never better) and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, always great), have been accepted by the Fremen, the native people of Arrakis. The vast, desolate desert expanse is the only source of spice melange—the most valuable and sought-after commodity in the universe, and the reason for an all-out galactic war to claim it.
Paul, having narrowly escaped the destruction of his father and his father’s House by the merciless Harkonnen, grapples with a desire for bloody revenge, the weight of prophecy, and the pull of burgeoning power. His budding romance with fierce Fremen warrior Chani (Zendaya—ruling every second of the substantial screentime she’s been given after being sidelined in Part One) further complicates matters.
Many of the Fremen are both intrigued and cautious about Paul’s potential role as the Kwisatz Haderach—the prophesied messiah. Paul may well be their avenging hero, but he might also serve as a warning to us about blindly following a Chosen One.
So, there’s a lot to cover, and a lot of potential pitfalls: overcomplication and, horror of horrors, tedium. But Villeneuve controls the spinning plates with confidence and elegance, drawing us into a world where every grain of sand holds a story. Everyone else follows suit—Dune: Part Two is meticulously crafted. The massive cast, who could have easily felt like a Shakespeare-on-the-Beach ensemble, have fully bought in and are working overtime to ensure we do too.
The cinematography paints a breathtaking canvas, from the stark beauty of Arrakis to Geidi Prime—the startlingly monochrome home of über-baddie and anti-Paul, Feyd-Rautha (a hairless and heartless Austin Butler). The sound design sings—thunderous bass from gigantic sandworms, shifting sands, distant winds, and even a dynamic use of silence. This is accompanied by yet another monumental home-run score from Hans Zimmer—finding new and exciting ways to theme cultures that don’t exist. The audio complements the visual assault in a way that will make you feel like you’re at a seat-rumbling, ear-splitting IMAX showing, even when you’re watching it on your sofa.
However, that assault is where one of Dune: Part Two’s few weaknesses emerges. It may be almost sacrilegious to suggest such a thing, but at times, it all feels a little… too much? The casual moviegoer, unprepared, might experience sensory overload at the umpteenth “Big Dramatic Moment”. And although the film weighs in at just under three hours, some subplots feel undercooked, leaving certain character arcs tantalisingly incomplete. Josh Brolin’s mentor figure, Gurney Halleck, gets a song but not a satisfying arc—never mind a battle-accompanying pug (trust me, see David Lynch’s ’80s adaptation for how epic this is).
Yet these nitpicks pale in comparison to what’s been realised on screen. I went into this film a little nervous. Although though fully entertained, I felt let down by Part One. As both a casual fan of Frank Herbert’s books and an apologist for Lynch’s bonkers take, I struggled to connect with the characters I held dear. The story beats felt by-the-numbers at times, and ultimately, it felt like half a movie. But Dune: Part Two was everything I had hoped for as Villeneuve helms what is often cited as an unfilmable property.
One of the film’s striking themes—and there are many—is its exploration of leadership and the burden it carries. We’re invited to reflect on power—how it corrupts, how it demands sacrifice, and how those who wield it are often ensnared by their own ambitions. This could easily have been a metaphor for the director’s audacity in tackling such a complex project. Villeneuve, however, has shown us that he is science fiction’s Kwisatz Haderach. May he lead us to paradise in Part Three.
Dune: Part Two is available to stream online now.
