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Dune: Part 2 is currently rocking box offices around the world and is more than likely set up to be the biggest sci-fi hit of the year, potentially one of the biggest of the decade. While it would be tough to name any film that matches the thrill of seeing charging Arrakis Sand Worms, there are many sci-fi films out there, both classic and tragically underrecognized, that Dune fans should certainly familiarize themselves if they haven’t seen them already. The following movies aren’t exactly like Dune 2 in terms of setting and story, but they are superb sci-fi epics that have similarly brilliant writing and cinematography.
Solaris
Solaris feels a bit like a cheat code because it’s really the sci-fi film that almost every film buff recommends at the mention of the genre’s “new wave” age. Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 classic isn’t exactly well-known with mass audiences in the West compared to other major American and British sci-fi works from the time, but it does have a stunning reputation among those who do know it. There’s a Lovecraftian element underlying the plot of Solaris that makes the film as unnerving as it is thought-provoking.
Spaceman
At the same time as Dune: Part 2 is taking over movie theaters, Netflix has quietly released a much smaller, more intimate sci-fi film starring Adam Sandler in his first dramatic role since Uncut Gems. The ambience of Spaceman is so lonely that its effect can be felt within only a brief period of time viewing, but its narrative, as endearing as it is oftentimes quirky, is something worth giving attention. Not to mention this film’s fantastically ethereal soundtrack.
The Vast Of Night
In Jeff Bezos’ endless efforts to infiltrate every fiber of human existence, Amazon Prime Video has been expanding its catalog into all corners of TV and film genre in recent years. The Vast Of Night is a small-budget sci-fi film on the platform that manages to utilize its financial constraints to great effect, creating a harrowing narrative that all surrounds following soundwaves. This is a must-watch new sci-fi film for any viewer looking for something in the genre that is drenched in mystery and conspiracy.
Arrival
For any Dune: Part 2 fan who might be interested in exploring more of director Denis Villeneuve’s work, look no further than his mind-bending 2016 sci-fi hit Arrival. This film delves into one of the most interesting discussions behind any potential real-world alien encounter: communication. Most larger-scale sci-fi epics like Dune typically explain away any potential communication issues with something like a universal translation device. Arrival confronts the idea that maybe language with interstellar species can be so fundamentally different from anything familiar to humans that the mere act of beginning to understand could alter the mind.
Snowpiercer
Leave it up to Bong Joon-ho to make his modern sci-fi cult hit about class struggle. The South Korean director of The Host and Parasite made a film with Captain America‘s Chris Evans as the lead that went tragically under the radar in the US upon its release in 2013. Its sci-fi elements come in the form of its futuristic and dystopian depiction of what remains of civilization on a small, claustrophobic scale. It’s definitely a hard recommendation for anyone wanting another film with intense action and political commentary.
