You need to watch 2021's most important sci-fi epic on HBO Max ASAP

Last Call “Desert power.” by Robin Bea November 16, 2021 Warner Bros.

Chilton Publishing Frank Herbert’s Dune was long considered unfilmable — even after the release of David Lynch’s controversial 1984 film adaptation.

The acclaimed sci-fi series’ reputation, and the commercial failure of Lynch’s disastrous (but interesting!) film, made Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation seem misguided at best. Nancy Moran/Sygma/Getty Images

Warner Bros. But while Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One has a fair amount of detractors, critics largely found that the supposedly unmakeable movie works. (As long as you split it in two.)

The Dune novels have become a poster child for complex, unapproachable sci-fi thanks to their deep dive into the politics and culture of a truly alien society. Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Dune: Part One wrestles with these same concepts, but has one major advantage in that it can simply show viewers their effects, rather than needing to explain their particulars to readers.

Warner Bros. That might mean you come away from Dune with a fuzzy understanding of sandworms or the Bene Gesserit, but it makes for a much less taxing experience.

Warner Bros. What makes this light-touch approach work is Dune ’s focus on its characters.

Warner Bros. You don’t need to learn everything about the world of Arrakis to understand the journey of Paul Atreides and the Fremen.

By letting its most far-out concepts pass without explanation, Dune feels like a look into a living world populated by real people.

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Kind of like how A New Hope felt , back before every grain of sand on Tatooine needed its own Wookieepedia entry.

For all its lofty ideas, Dune succeeds thanks to jaw-dropping visuals.

Warner Bros. Even with a muted color palette, Villeneuve delivers cinematic sights that need to be seen to believed (and still look great if you’re watching on a TV screen).

Warner Bros. It’s not just empty visual calories, either. Dune ’s incredible cinematic flourishes help sell the majesty of Arrakis and how its society functions much quicker than pages of exposition would.

Warner Bros. Fantastic performances from Oscar Isaac, Timothée Chalamet, and Zendaya pull off a similar trick, fleshing out their characters without the need to dive into their inner monologues.

Warner Bros. Dune: Part One has understandably been criticized for its unsatisfying ending , but its focus on building a believable world and centering its characters’ struggles in it makes the movie a joy to watch nonetheless.

If you’re looking for closure, that will have to wait until Dune: Part Two , expected in 2023. Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Dune: Part One is streaming on HBO Max until November 22 .

You need to watch 2021's most important sci-fi epic on HBO Max ASAP

By letting its most far-out concepts pass without explanation, Dune feels like a look into a living world populated by real people.

For all its lofty ideas, Dune succeeds thanks to jaw-dropping visuals.

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