Denis Villeneuve Films Ranked

To celebrate the critical and commercial success of the magnificently epic Dune: Part Two, I have decided to rank the filmography of Denis Villeneuve. With the release of his ambitious sci-fi sequel this past weekend, the French-Canadian filmmaker has established himself as one of the most talented directors working in the industry today, who has consistently delivered for the past fifteen years.

I am yet to see Villeneuve’s first two feature films: August 32nd on Earth and Maelstrom, so do not expect to see them here but I will be ranking the nine feature films he has directed that I have seen. I must declare that this was incredibly difficult as each and every one of these films are worthy of at least a four star rating, so to separate them was a daunting task.

9. Polytechnique (2009)

Cast: Maxim Gaudette, Sebastien Huberdeau, Karine Vanasse, Evelyne Brochu, Johanne-Marie Tremblay, Pierre-Yves Cardinal

Synopsis: Valérie (Karine Vanasse) and Jean-François (Sebastien Huberdeau) study at a school in Montreal. One day, a brutal event causes irreversible changes in their lives. A 25-year-old man (Maxim Gaudette) enters the school with a rifle in his hand and his goal is to murder every woman in the building.

8. Enemy (2013)

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Melanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, Isabella Rossellini

Synopsis: A mild-mannered college professor (Jake Gyllenhaal) discovers a look-alike actor and delves into the other man’s private affairs.

7. Incendies (2010)

Cast: Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Remy Girard

Synopsis: Nawal (Lubna Azabal), a dying Middle Eastern woman living in Montreal, leaves separate letters to her twin children to be read once she passes away. Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) is to deliver hers to the father the twins never knew, and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) is to give his to the brother they never knew they had. The siblings travel to the Middle East separately, where they each experience acts of brutality, uncover a startling family history, and have revelations about themselves.

6. Prisoners (2013)

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano

Synopsis: Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) faces a parent’s worst nightmare when his 6-year-old daughter, Anna, and her friend go missing. The only lead is an old motorhome that had been parked on their street. The head of the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), arrests the driver (Paul Dano), but a lack of evidence forces Loki to release his only suspect. Dover, knowing that his daughter’s life is at stake, decides that he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

5. Dune (2021)

Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Mamoa, Javier Bardem

Synopsis: Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive.

4. Sicario (2015)

Cast: Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Jon Bernthal

Synopsis: After rising through the ranks of her male-dominated profession, idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) receives a top assignment. Recruited by mysterious government official Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), Kate joins a task force for the escalating war against drugs. Led by the intense and shadowy Alejandro (Benicio del Toro), the team travels back-and-forth across the U.S.-Mexican border, using one cartel boss (Bernardo Saracino) to flush out a bigger one (Julio Cesar Cedillo).

3. Dune: Part Two (2024)

Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Lea Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem

Synopsis: Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

Check out my full review of Dune: Part Two below.

2. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, Dave Bautista, Jared Leto

Synopsis: Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner who’s been missing for 30 years.

1. Arrival (2016)

Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tzi Ma

Synopsis: Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.

Let me know what your favourite Denis Villeneuve film is and be sure to check out all my reviews, including Dune: Part Two via the links below.