Love watching science fiction on Prime Video? The streaming service is about to lose one of the best science-fiction movies of the last decade, meaning now's the time to bump it further up your watchlist.
Given its reputation, chances are you've already watched Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part One". If you haven't, your last day to stream "Dune: Part One" on Prime Video is December 31, 2024.
Villeneuve's "Dune" project began back in 2021 with this stunning, immersive feature that brought Frank Herbert's seminal novel to life. It scooped up a ton of awards upon release, and rightly so: it was an immersive, thrilling, and beautifully put-together slice of epic sci-fi drama.
If you missed it in theaters (or want to cram a full rewatch in now "Dune: Part Two" is also available on streaming), now's the perfect time to touch down on Arrakis all over again. Here's a bit more info about the epic sci-fi movie to help convince you that yes, you absolutely should check "Dune" out.
What is 'Dune' about?
"Dune: Part One" functions as a sprawling introduction to the many moving parts and peoples of the "Dune" story, teasing an ensuing conflict that truly explodes in the 2024 sequel.
Chiefly, it's the story of the predestined Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), an incredibly gifted member of the Atreides dynasty. The Emperor gives his family stewardship of the desert planet of Arrakis (and its lucrative resource, "Spice"). However, malevolent forces across the galaxy conspire against his household, and a betrayal forces him on a journey far out into the unforgiving sands of the planet, to secure his legacy and bring peace to Arrakis.
In addition to Chalamet, the "Dune" cast also includes Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, and more.
Should you stream 'Dune: Part One'?
If it wasn't abundantly clear, I adore "Dune", and highly recommend anyone returns to it, whether they've seen it or not.
The first time I saw it in theaters, I did bounce off the slow-burn story a little, but upon revisiting "Dune: Part One" ahead of the sequel earlier this year, I properly fell in love with it.
If you can tolerate a slower-paced tale, you'll be richly rewarded here. Every element, be it Hans Zimmer's score, the costumes or the visual effects, are richly detailed. And despite ultimately only telling part of a story, it still has thrills aplenty in store. I defy anyone not to be sucked into its unique vision.
If you need more than one opinion, "Dune" currently comes pretty well-recommended on Rotten Tomatoes. At the time of writing, it has an 83% critics' score, from over 500 accredited reviews, and the site's critical consensus reads: ""Dune" occasionally struggles with its unwieldy source material, but those issues are largely overshadowed by the scope and ambition of this visually thrilling adaptation".
Reviewing for Empire, Ben Travis awarded "Dune" a perfect, 5-star rating and called it "an absorbing, awe-inspiringly huge adaptation of (half of) Frank Herbert's novel that will wow existing acolytes, and get newcomers hooked on its Spice-fuelled visions".
The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw was similarly effusive, calling "Dune" a "moment of triumph" in his 5-star review, adding: "This eerily vast and awe-inspiring epic, a cathedral of interplanetary strangeness, is better than the attempt a generation ago by an acknowledged master," referring back to David Lynch's troubled 1984 adaptation.
Rolling Stone's K. Austin Collins was also pleased with "Dune", calling it "a big, bold blockbuster" and "big and breathless and committed, so capably navigated in its finest moments that you can't help but give credit where it's due".
The bottom line is this: if you have access to Prime Video, and want to marvel at something vast and beautiful, then you need to get "Dune: Part One" streamed in the next week or so.
Looking for more streaming recommendations? Fellow Tom's Guide writer Josh Bell recently highlighted "The Creator" had arrived on Prime Video, and we've also got a full guide to all the best movies on Prime Video that you can watch right now, too.
