“You may die. You may see. The beauty and the horror.”

I don’t mean to sound hyperbolic or like I’m just saying this to say this…but I just witnessed history. History in the sense that this is one of the greatest cinematic achievements and experiences ever. This was more than anything I could have ever dreamed of. I am in shock, I’m in awe, and I am actually kind of emotional thinking about how I was able to witness this moment in history. This is what cinema is all about. This is why I am in love with film. This is what filmmaking looks like at its highest levels. This made me feel like a changed person afterwards. Dune: Part 2 left me speechless and made me fall in love with film all…over…again. This is now, officially, a core part of my love for film.

Our parents had the original Star Wars trilogy. I was only a couple years old when The Lord of the Rings trilogy came out and wasn’t able to experience it in theaters. The Dune trilogy is transforming into the next timeless film trilogy right in front of our eyes, and I was able to witness the second part of it on an IMAX screen with three of my closest friends. I am not kidding (and I am so blessed & thankful to say) I just saw one of my favorite movies of all-time in an IMAX theater on opening night.

Revenge, false prophets, religion, politics, war. The story in Part 2 is much more layered and detailed. Paul Atreides is slowly becoming my favorite character in any movie ever. While in the first film we saw him undergo so much tragedy, the loss of his father, the loss of his best friend and mentor in Duncan, to seeing his city destroyed and his house wiped away, to now adapting to his surroundings and becoming more and more of his own man, is something so special. Paul finds his purpose, something that gives him a meaning to this life, and he uses that to try and make things even with the people who caused him so much pain. Dune: Part 2 not only gives us the ending of this storyline but also furthers his character arch by giving him a love story, his mother planting the idea of him becoming this Messiah figure to the galaxy, and his lust for revenge. Him becoming Maud’dib, leading an army, taking charge of the rebellion against House Harkonnen and the Emperor. EVERYTHING ABOUT PAUL ATREIDES’ CHARACTER IS SO AMAZING.

Denis Villenueve took everything I loved about the first film and elevated it in every single way. The world building, the CINEMATOGRAPHY, the scope, the score, the acting, the story. Everything is elevated to another level. I’ve made it known before but I am Timothee Chalamet’s number 1 fan, and I can confidently say after this film and this performance from him…he might actually become my favorite actor of all-time. He has officially catapulted into superstar status for me. He commands the screen, his presence, his ability to steal the show for me is unmatched. Timothee Chalamet deserves an Oscar nomination for his performance. I’m not joking.

There were so many moments during watching this where I genuinely had my jaw dropped. There are so many sequences that left me in awe, questioning if what I was seeing was real. I just kept laughing to myself over and over just because of how genuinely blown away I was over every aspect of this film. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life and I am so glad I am alive in this time and place to be able to experience a spectacle like this on the biggest screen I can. This is a moment in history and I am bearing witness to it.

Dune: Part 2 somehow exceeded my expectations. This is one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen personally, and it is already one of my favorite films ever made and I do not feel a bit guilty saying that. Denis Villenueve is a national treasure, a master of his craft, a genius, and one of the greatest working directors and of our generation. This is one for the history books. Please go see this movie on the biggest screen you can, with whoever you need to, and experience the next truly great cinematic sci-fi blockbuster trilogies of our lifetime.

Thank you for reading if you did! :)

I am already looking at tickets to see this again…