Dune, Frank Herbert’s epic science fiction masterpiece, has captivated readers for over half a century. Its rich worldbuilding, complex characters, and profound themes have made it a landmark of the genre. Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film adaptation and its 2024 sequel Dune: Part Two have ignited a new wave of interest in this iconic story.
If you’ve been enchanted by the sprawling deserts of Arrakis and the heroic journey of Paul Atreides, you may be hungry for more transportive science fiction experiences. Here are 15 of the best movies like Dune that will whisk you away to astonishing worlds beyond your imagination.
1. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Blade Runner 2049 is a neo-noir sci-fi epic directed by Denis Villeneuve, the visionary behind Dune. Set 30 years after the original Blade Runner, the film follows a replicant blade runner named K (Ryan Gosling) who uncovers a secret with the potential to plunge society into chaos.
Like Dune, Blade Runner 2049 is a slow-burn, contemplative film that explores weighty themes through the lens of a richly detailed futuristic world. Roger Deakins’ breathtaking cinematography brings each frame to vivid life. Although the story is very different from Dune, fans will appreciate Villeneuve’s ambitious storytelling and the film’s awe-inspiring sense of scale.
2. Arrival (2016)
Before tackling Dune, Denis Villeneuve directed Arrival, a cerebral alien contact drama. When mysterious spacecraft appear across the globe, linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is recruited to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors and discern the purpose of their arrival.
Arrival is a more intimate, introspective film than Dune, but it showcases Villeneuve’s deft handling of science fiction concepts. As Louise deciphers the aliens’ language, the story delves into profound ideas about time, memory, and the power of communication. For viewers who appreciate Dune‘s philosophical underpinnings, Arrival offers a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant journey.
3. Interstellar (2014)
Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is a sweeping space opera set in a near future where Earth is becoming increasingly uninhabitable. Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former NASA pilot, embarks on a daring mission through a wormhole to find a new home for humanity.
Like Dune, Interstellar grapples with weighty themes of survival, sacrifice, and the human spirit against a backdrop of interstellar wonders. Nolan’s ambitious direction and the film’s stunning visual effects make for an immersive viewing experience. While tonally quite different from Dune, Interstellar offers a similarly transportive sci-fi adventure on a grand scale.
4. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a post-apocalyptic anime film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Set in a future where Earth is ravaged by pollution and giant insects, the story follows Princess Nausicaä as she becomes embroiled in a conflict between kingdoms.
Although not a direct influence on Dune, Nausicaä shares some striking similarities. Both stories center on a charismatic young royal navigating treacherous political waters in an environmentally devastated world. Miyazaki’s imaginative worldbuilding and the film’s ecological themes resonate with Dune‘s setting and subtext. For science fiction fans who appreciate nuanced characters and allegorical storytelling, Nausicaä is a must-watch.
5. Star Wars (1977)
George Lucas’s original Star Wars film, later subtitled Episode IV – A New Hope, is a landmark of science fiction cinema. While not as thematically dense as Dune, Star Wars is an imaginative space opera with unforgettable characters, exotic locales, and a classic hero’s journey at its core.
Star Wars was famously inspired by Dune in many ways, from its desert planet setting to its messianic overtones. For viewers who want to experience a Dune-like blend of science fiction and mythic fantasy, the Star Wars saga is an essential touchstone. Its enduring popularity is a testament to the transportive power of great science fiction storytelling.
6. Avatar (2009)
James Cameron’s Avatar transported audiences to the lush moon of Pandora, where human colonists clash with the native Na’vi population. With its groundbreaking visual effects and environmentalist themes, Avatar became a global phenomenon.
Like Dune, Avatar is a science fiction epic with a fully realized alien world. The film’s immersive 3D visuals brought Pandora to life in unprecedented detail. And while its “white savior” narrative has been critiqued, Avatar still offers a powerful fable about the importance of living in harmony with nature. For fans of Dune‘s ecological subtext, Avatar provides a visually stunning parable.
7. Prometheus (2012)
Ridley Scott’s Prometheus is a prequel to his 1979 classic Alien, but it’s very much its own beast. The story follows a team of scientists who journey to a distant moon in search of humanity’s origins, but find something far more terrifying.
Prometheus is a grand sci-fi mystery that grapples with existential questions about creation, faith, and the nature of life itself. Like Dune, it’s a slow-burn film that rewards patience and close attention. Scott’s sumptuous visuals bring a sense of dark wonder to the story’s cosmic horrors. For viewers hungry for ambitious, idea-driven science fiction, Prometheus is a fascinating puzzle box.
8. Ender’s Game (2013)
Based on Orson Scott Card’s beloved novel, Ender’s Game is set in a future where gifted children are trained to battle an insectoid alien race. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) emerges as a brilliant strategist, but struggles with the psychological toll of his military training.
Like Dune, Ender’s Game features a young protagonist grappling with a heavy destiny in a richly imagined sci-fi setting. The film’s depiction of Ender’s grueling battle school education recalls Paul Atreides’ own intense training. And while the film streamlines the book’s complex narrative, it still offers a thought-provoking look at war, empathy, and the burdens of leadership.
9. Snowpiercer (2013)
Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer is a dystopian thriller set aboard a train that endlessly circles a frozen Earth. The passengers are segregated by class, with the downtrodden “tailies” plotting revolution against the elites uptrain.
While tonally quite different from Dune, Snowpiercer offers a similarly immersive sci-fi world with a rich allegorical underpinning. The film’s claustrophobic setting becomes a microcosm for exploring issues of inequality, oppression, and uprising. With its propulsive action and dark humor, Snowpiercer is a gripping ride that also prods at deeper truths.
10. Solaris (1972)
Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris is a Soviet science fiction classic about a psychologist sent to investigate mysterious events on a space station orbiting a sentient ocean planet. As the crew grapples with apparitions from their pasts, the line between reality and illusion blurs.
Like Dune, Solaris is a heady, deliberately paced film that uses its sci-fi trappings to explore interior dimensions of the human psyche. Tarkovsky’s hypnotic direction evokes a sense of dreamlike unease as the characters confront their deepest regrets and desires. For viewers drawn to Dune‘s psychedelic mysticism, Solaris offers a haunting meditation on memory, loss, and the ultimate unknowability of alien life.
11. The Martian (2015)
Ridley Scott’s The Martian stars Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded alone on Mars, using his wits and resourcefulness to survive. Based on Andy Weir’s self-published novel, the film is a gripping tale of ingenuity and the indomitable human spirit.
While much lighter in tone than Dune, The Martian offers a similarly immersive depiction of life on an inhospitable planet. Damon’s charismatic performance anchors the story, while Scott’s meticulous direction conveys the wonder and peril of space exploration. For science fiction fans who like their cosmic adventures leavened with humor and heart, The Martian is an uplifting journey.
12. Annihilation (2018)
Alex Garland’s Annihilation follows a team of scientists who venture into a reality-bending anomaly known as “the Shimmer.” As they struggle to unravel the Shimmer’s mysteries, the boundaries between self and other, human and alien, begin to dissolve.
Annihilation is a mind-bending sci-fi/horror hybrid that, like Dune, grapples with the transformative potential of alien encounters. With its stunning visuals and haunting Geoff Barrow/Ben Salisbury score, the film creates an atmosphere of mounting dread and awe. For viewers who appreciate Dune‘s psychedelic ambiguity, Annihilation offers a mesmerizing journey into the unknown.
13. Contact (1997)
Based on Carl Sagan’s novel, Robert Zemeckis’ Contact stars Jodie Foster as a scientist who discovers a message from an alien intelligence. As different factions vie to control Earth’s response, she risks everything for the chance to meet the senders face to face.
Like Dune, Contact is a thoughtful, character-driven science fiction film that grapples with big ideas about humanity’s place in the cosmos. Foster’s luminous performance grounds the story’s flights of speculative fancy in relatable human emotion. While less action-packed than Dune, Contact offers a moving exploration of faith, science, and the yearning for connection across vast distances.
14. Sunshine (2007)
Danny Boyle’s Sunshine follows a crew of astronauts on a desperate mission to reignite the dying sun. As they approach their destination, they grapple with equipment failures, interpersonal tensions, and a presence that may be more than human.
Sunshine shares Dune‘s fascination with the mythic dimensions of space travel, as well as its sense of humanity dwarfed by cosmic forces. Boyle’s kinetic direction and the film’s dazzling visuals evoke both the wonder and horror of the void. Like Dune, Sunshine builds to a trippy, transcendent climax that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll.
15. Children of Dune (2003)
Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune is a Sci-Fi Channel miniseries that adapts the second and third books in Herbert’s original Dune trilogy. Set years after the events of Dune, the story follows Paul Atreides’ young twins as they come of age amidst conspiracy and prophecy.
While not as visually lavish as Villeneuve’s films, Children of Dune offers a worthy continuation of Herbert’s saga. The miniseries format allows the story’s intricate politics and mystical undercurrents room to breathe. James McAvoy shines as the messianic Leto II, a fascinating figure who pushes Dune‘s themes of prescience and sacrifice to challenging extremes. For Dune fans eager to see the story continue onscreen, this miniseries is an underrated gem.
Whether you’re craving more of Dune‘s desert planet intrigue, its philosophical science fiction, or its enveloping sense of alien grandeur, these 15 films offer transportive experiences to satisfy your spice addiction. From the ambitious epics of Villeneuve and Nolan to more intimate alien encounters, the best movies like Dune push the boundaries of the possible and dare to dream of worlds beyond our own. So dive in, and let these astonishing visions carry you to the far reaches of the imagination.
