This is a criminally underrated video. As a 16 year old French Canadian aspiring Filmmaker, Denis Villeneuve is the kind of director I’m striving to become. Thanks for making this!
No movie is life changing. No book or piece of art is either. There are some that lead you to think about issues but they aren’t going to change what you believe and how you feel about that issue based on your overall experience. They don’t change people.
@@soysource3218 It doesn’t change who they are in the way ‘life changing’ conveys. It is one of a person’s experiences but people don’t go watch a movie and come out as different people. If a piece of art speaks to you, it’s because your previous experience. It doesn’t change you. Others would be able to recognize it if it did. Now, a person could go see a movie and come out wanting to direct movies but if it hadn’t been that movie it would have been another.
@@poindextertunesit’s hard sci-fi. Not everyone is gonna be into a movie where you have to be invested in Paul aka Muad’Dib aka Lisan al-Gaib, son of Leto, Duke of Caladan and leader of House Atreides. Not to mention 6 other Houses, a secret society of witches, and giant sand worms. That said I’m a giant nerd and have read most of the books and love the story and Denis’ adaptation. Incendies is still a better movie.
The die hard fans of Star Wars, LOTR, and GOT is an indication that we’ve got a lot of nerds in the world. That said, hard sci-fi isn’t for everyone. (Side note: I prefer Denis’ Dune over all of those by far)
@@sder It's a great video! Always a pleasure to watch your stuff. Have not seen your number 1 yet but is next on my to watch list! Thanks for great video!
Man, I am so glad you ranked Prisoners this high. Most of the time, people tend to place it in the lower spots on their lists. It is my favourite movie of all time. Although not pleasant watch, every scene builds and builds the tention, and the last hour honestly is just nerve vrecking panick attack. It allways gets me so emotional, the subtle touching score, the perfect cinematography and Hugh Jackmans and Jake Gyllenhall's greatest performences. (Altho for Jake, it could be arguably Nightcrawler). I am not a father yet, but I can only imagine, what it will be like watching this heart breaking story wit my own kids in mind. Btw Denis Villenueve is also my favourite director of all time, I am glad people are catching up to him, after Dune 2 and Rian Gosling's literally me.
Incendies was the first film that I saw of Villeneuve, and then Arrival was the second one. I was flabbergasted, and he became my favorite too. It's always fun to see a longform video like this about him. This video is great :)
If I may add, as a Québécois, I think what videos on Villeneuve don't show enough - understandably so - is the extent to which his cinematic art is highly influenced by the Québec film tradition of the 60s and 70s, often referred to as "cinéma direct". This documentary style of filmmaking is quite sociological by letting the camera roll to see what people have to say or do, without intervening or trying to fill the void/silence/dialogue. Villeneuve himself said that working in the Canadian North with Michel Brault, a prominent Québécois filmmaker of that tradition, taught him the sense of pacing and immersion by paying attention to behavioural and elemental details surrounding him. I do believe his genius is the combination of a documentary style of filmmaking and a wild imagination.
I absolutely love Blade Runner 2049. I am a sucker for neon lights, and the futuristic looks of things, but the reason I love this one is because of how lonely it feels, and how we feel when we’re alone. I love Blade Runner
If you want you can read the original story in book form. Incendie was first a play and the script was made into a book. Denis adapted the story after that in cinema. The book is read a lot in french canadian schools. Its really good!
In my opinion Sicario is clearly his best, the cinematography, the tension, the characters and the way he tackles such a realistic theme that is still relevant today, everything in it is just perfection for me. I’ve never experienced such tension in a movie before and I do also think it’s his darkest movie when it comes to imagery. I still haven’t seen Incendies but I need to watch it asap
yes sicario is probably my fave movie. ive rewatched that movie quite a few times now and it hits every time. in fact it just gets deeper each time, or i see different things. It gets sadder every time too. such a tragic movie. I do love the othe rmovies ive seen by Denis however. i haven't yet watched incendies, prisoners, a few others... looking forward to some rewatches too ! ones ting is for sure though, i absolutely love Denis' style!
Not much of what he has done is truly ground breaking. But his ability to translate sub-text purely through images is amazing. He is so good at translating writer's original intentions into story boards, and make the cinematographer understand the job. If I was a writer, Denis would be the first person I would want to work with. He respects the Writer's vision and intentions so well. A good example of this would be Arrival, Incendies, Dune.
@@treyjordan1284They aren’t very memorable. I’d heard bad things about his Blade Runner before watching it. When I did watch it I thought it was pretty good. A year later I can’t remember much about it. I watched both Dune movies in the last week and I think they will be the same way.
He's such a master at work it's not even funny, I've loved every single thing he's done 8. Enemy 7. Dune 6. Blade Runner 2049 5. Prisoners 4. Sicario 3. Dune: Part 2 2. Incendies 1. Arrival
@@JayzVeez I love part 1 but it's really only for the sole reason that it just doesn't have that complete experience feeling quite like the other ones It's still great tho I mean I love Enemy too the fact it's over Enemy should be a testament to his catalog
I watched Bladerunner 2049 twice, back to back, on a plane.... with no sound! I can't remember why I had no sound (I guess my seat's system was busted) but I was mesmerized by the visuals. Denis is an outstanding film maker. A few still to see, but highly recommend Incendie and Sicario as well.
Denis is also my favourite director working today. I could talk for hours about each of his movies and how they have impacted me. From Incendies heartwrecking plot reveal. Sicario's palpaple tension. Prisoners' perfect ending. To Arrival's emotional themes and even how it impacted my personal life and influenced decisions that I've made. He truly is an amazing filmmaker. And although I'm enjoying his high budget sci-fi streak a lot, I am hoping he comes back to some more personal stories eventually.
In a few interviews I watched it sounds like Villeneuve also has a desire to make a lower budget French film. Based on his current upcoming projects though, it seems like we will have to wait some years for that.
Great list and video essay. For me (from the films I’ve seen) it is: 8. Enemy 7. Dune Pt 1 6. Arrival 5. Dune Pt 2 4. Incendies 3. Sicario 2. Prisoners 1. Blade Runner 2049
when "Arrival", widely considered as one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, is only ranked in the middle, you know this director's portfolio is LEGENDARY.
Incendies very deserved of the number 1 spot. By far my favourite Villeneuve film, I remember the shock I felt watching it. Nawal's letter to the son is beautiful and the letter to the father is heartbreaking. Few films stick with you like Incendies.
Sicario left the biggest impact on me, it really put Denis on my radar from that point on. The tension, the score, the acting, the script, the cinematography, it all came togheter perfectly. Never missed anything that Taylor Sheridan made from that point forward eighter. Great video!
same - about sicario. that movie continues to have such an impact on me! thankyou for sharing your experience! good to know there a re other Denis impactees out there 😆
My personal top 5: 1) Arrival. 2) Blade Runner 2049. 3) Prisoners. 4) Enemy. 5) Incendies. I've loved every Villeneuve movie I've seen. The man is a visionary.
Great video. Placing Incendies at the top of the list makes so much sense to me as it is a pivotal movie in his career. My personal favorite is Sicario.
For me, he is one of the few directors who has never made a bad movie. Whatever movie of Villeneuve you pick and call bad, it will be miles better than most of the movies released these days. They just have so much to speak to the audience.
That opening scene to dune 2 is just outstanding. I was in awe watching that in the cinema. Ive seen everyone of his films and have yet to be disappointed.
Has become my favourite director, I was soooo afraid when it was published the second part for Blade runner, my favourite Sci FI movie of all time, but when I heard was Villeneuve making it I was more relaxed and of course, what a movie!!! Again for Dune and again, what a masterpiece.
Thanks for the video. BR2049 was my first Denis film in cinema(i think i watched Arrival at home a day or so earlier) and its till my favorite cinema experience ever, also watched Dune 2(and 1) in cinemas which was incredible but at that point i had a idea of what the movie was going to be like which i did not with BR2049 since i hadnt watched the first before. Jesus what a experience that was. But i have to say that my favorite film that Denis had done so far is Arrival, i usually have a hard time crying/shedding tears from movies(even sad ones) but something just clicked towards the end of that movie and yeah tears started falling. He is by far my favorite director working today and i cant be more excited as to what he does next. And just as a bonus point for him but the highway shootout in Sicario is in my top 5 scenes of any movie.
A huge part of Villeneuve's achievement with Dune is the recreation of the written universe on the screen. In an alternate timeline where you'd read the source material you ranked it much higher.
I think he has the potential to go down in cinema history as an all time great. A few of his movies I know will last forever. My Ranking 11. August 32nd (6/10) 10. Maelstrom (6/10) 9. Polytechnique (8/10) 8. Sicario (9/10) 7. Prisoners (9/10) 6. Enemy (9.5/10) 5. Arrival (9.5/10) 4. Dune (9.8/10) 3. Blade Runner 2049 (10/10) 2. Incendies (10/10) 1. Dune: Part Two (10/10)
I had no clue about this filmmaker. But i ended up watching a lot of his films such Blade Runner, Arrival, Dune 2 ( not the first one, i missed it 😅😢). It was Sicario that blew my mind. Till this day I listen to the background score.
My favorite Villeneuve movie changes from day to day. He's amazing, and he always chooses to work with *the best* actors/actresses, and, importantly, he lets his actors/actresses ACT. Many directors want to direct their actors into something that they are not and won't let them do what they are best at - act. But, that's where Villeneuve shines *extra* bright. He loves actors/actresses, and he lets them try different things. I think that's at least a pretty decent part of what makes his movies so incredibly great - the rest is his raw talent and his love for cinema. He is fantastic! And, this was a really good video about one of the greatest filmmakers alive. I'm so friggin' happy that I found your channel! Gonna follow you on Letterboxd next. I only created my Letterboxd account in October last year, so I haven't logged even half of all the films I've seen, but I'm working on it. Have an awesome day!
I truly believe the Dune Part 2 is one of the best movies I have seen. I had the pleasure of watching in theatre, and when Paul fully embrace the title of Lisan al-Gaib, and gave his incredible speech in the War Council, I felt as though I was among the Fremen. I fully want to stand and scream alongside them all - fully immersed in the moment - something I haven’t really experienced before. And that moment was pretty much perfection. To tell the story of the dangerous of religious fanatical dogma, to communicate how negative it is, to show Paul’s internal conflict knowing what may happen should he embrace that title, tie the audience in to all this, then somehow almost make you forget all that for the hype of the moment to immerse you so deeply that you basically fall for that dogma - THAT was masterful. To immerse you so that you truly understand the message and how dangerous that is, and how it can affect ANYONE. Brilliant.
I've only watched Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Dune, Dune: Part Two, Prisoners, and Sicario. They were all so goddamn good... I can't pick one over the other. 😶
Denis Villeneuve's career is a really fascinating character arc. He started with movies like Cleopatra and Blade Runner, and ventured into space and alien themes with Arrival. It seems that with each film, he learned and evolved. Now, he’s channeling all that experience into the Dune series. The build up is evident, with the puzzle pieces coming together beautifully.
This is a criminally underrated video. As a 12 year old French South African aspiring Filmmaker, Denis Villeneuve is the kind of director i’m striving to become. Thanks for making this!
Dennis is also my favorite filmmaker today and my rankings like up closely with yours. Though, for me, Arrival and Sicario are in my top two. I feel like the philosophies presented in these films are the most thought-provoking of his work and can be directly attributed to today’s societal and political landscapes. Yes, Incendies is a masterpiece of a story with an overarching theme that forgiveness is the key to end the cycle of suffering (among others). Though, I don’t think the film’s idealogies and symbolism dive as deep as Arrival and Sicario. by the way, you create top-tier content and I very much appreciate it.
What makes DV interesting is his commitment to story telling. He commits to a passion, a challenge, a striving. Clearly, for him, movies are a form of expression, then, a job, and not the opposite.
Good on Villeneuve wearing his UQAM jacket during interviews. Love his movies and there’s a few here I need to see. In terms of sci-fi, Arrival was a great hard-sci-fi movie and thought provoking, I think I like it more than Dune.
Denis made my favorite film of all time. He made my 11th favorite film of all time, and he is without a doubt an absolute legend, and even if he makes a 4 hour film about a guy running through his town, I'd watch it! Absolute king!
The Dune movies, particularly the second one, changed me. I absolutely LOVE them. I’ve seen part 2 an embarrassing amount of times since its release and regard it as one of my favorite movies ever. I’ve read the first 4 books now and fell in love with the universe.
My favorite Denis Villeneuve film is _Blade Runner 2049._ I believe it's his best, and it is one of my absolute favorite films of all time. Bleak, yet hopeful. Grimy, yet beautiful. I cannot say enough about it. It is, if I could dare say it, perfect.
He's everything you said and showed here, but I also think the casting on his films are perfect. Every actor is so well casted for their role. I couldn't imagine Arrival without Amy Adams, or Prisoners without Hugh Jackman
Denis is my favorite director. I remember watching Sicario for the first time and being completely drawn in. Then I watched Arrival (my #1 movie). After making the connection I haven’t stopped watching everything he’s made.
I love Denis and as soon as I heard your disclaimer before 6 I shook my head because I knew what was coming. Love that movie and it's so rewatchable, but I understand.
In my opinion Villeneuve is the best movie director today. He always makes masterpieces (though I don't like Hans Zimmer). Your number one film is well chosen.
Just reading through the comments seeing that people’s favourite movies are a mix from 6 or 7 or Denis’s films. Prisoners is my personal favourite. I just watched incendies for the first time last night and I was blown away. My favourite director
As someone who also has Denis as their favorite director, I loved your dissection and opinions on his filmography. Lots of good insights, but we have extremely different rankings when it comes to his biggest 6 movies. Kinda cool to see two people with the same top director but a completely different preference of the filmography. I think you're really "sleeping" on both Dunes lol.
Lots of people I know hated Arrival, but it really hit me. I wouldn’t rate it among his best, but it really is a powerful story if you let it wash over you. The existential beauty of accepting tragedy for the sake of fleeting moments is just- I can barely think about it without getting choked up.
Great video! I’ve seen everything except his first two and appreciate you covering them. I would rate Polytechnique a bit higher but all the films I’ve seen are really excellent.
Arrival is still one of my favourite movies ever. I truly went in not knowing a thing about that movie, was expecting a cool alien movie got a beautiful story that brought me to tears. Now that I have a child of my own and 8 years of my life have flown by everything that movie is conveying is something that truly speaks to me and the way life can either be something that holds you back due to its terrifying inevitability or be something that you can embrace and be at peace with. Worth noting Bradford Young’s cinematography is at an elite level here. I initially assumed it was another Roger Deakins team up it was that good imo.
I’m glad I’m not alone! He’s definitely our generations best director. Dune solidified what I already knew after watching Sicario, Prisoner, Arrival, the list goes on.
Everyone rightfully points out the skillful acting of a swathe of those who've worked with Villeneuve, and there are so many. Two I feel are sometimes overlooked are Paul Dano and David Dastmalchian. I first saw Dano's work in 12 Years a Slave and he has impressed me ever since; in Prisoners he was terrific. Ditto, Dastmalchian has been sublime; in his short role in Blade Runner I was impressed, by the time I saw Prisoners I was hooked.
Dune 2 is so good that it irritated me that people are finally talking about his movies. First saw Sicario and Prisoners at home, then immediately went to see Arrival in theater. After that, I showed up to all his movies first weekend.
Very good video man. Your bias is similar to mine, so this was very fun to watch. Dennis has become my favorite Director very quickly. Thanks for teaching me more about him :)
I think I just joined the "I had no idea many of my favorite films were all directed by the same guy" Club. Prisoners has been in my top 5 list forever. Arrival and Bladerunner joined it. The first Sicario is a masterpiece. Dune: Part 2 is my favorite movie, ever. I had no idea all of these films were directed by the same guy. But he now has one more superfan. Cannot fucking wait for Dune: Messiah. Denis couldn't make a bad movie if he tried.
Impressive portfolio. Contains several of my favourite films. Enemy was probably the first I watched that stuck with me. Sicario, Blade Runner 2049 and... actually Arrival I think are my top 3. If Dune had been like the first half of the first film, that'd be on this list. Still good though. He mixes depth, accessibility and even cheese well. Pretty sure layers in a film like Sicario went right over a lot of viewers heads, but that's fine because it also works as a straight forward film. In a way, he hides intense intellectual and philosophical subject matter right under an entertainment surface, which is a sign of greatness. It's not a requirement though, directors like Tarantino comes to mind.
For me it's, 1. Sicario 2. Prisoners 3. Dune Part 2 4. Blade Runner 2049 5. Enemy 6.Dune 7. Arrival I have not watched his earlier work, but will definitely watch Incendies now. Thanks
Excellent video, and Incendies is my #1 Denis film as well, and my top 3 fave film for sure. I watched it without knowing anything abt it other than that it was not that popular but was his highest-rated film at that time. I already knew Denis was good back then after watching Blade runner and prisoners but I honestly has no idea what to expect from this film since it seemed quite different from those I'd watched. Little did I know that I was in for a journey. I was quickly fully immersed and invested in the story the whole time, which I didn't expect early on since I thought it'd be a slow drama. After I finished the film, I was emotionally devastated and my heart felt so heavy. What made Denis so good imo is how he masters both the technical (especially cinematography) and emotional/human aspects of a film. There are very few directors who can master both like this, and I feel that Nolan is a good example of a director that masters the former but isn't that strong on the latter. Denis is definitely the most well-rounded director rn imo. Up until now I've watched all of his films since Incendies, and the only one I didn't fully enjoy is Enemy but it's purely bcs I didn't understand it, other than that I still think it's masterfully made.
My own ranking of Denis (also my favorite contemporary filmmaker): 1. Enemy (a masterpiece of tone and metaphor and symbolism) 2. Dune 3. Sicario 4. Dune Part 2 5. Arrival 6. Prisoners 7. Blade Runner 2049 --some drop off-- 8. Polytechnique 9. Incendies 10. Maelstrom
@@sder oh dont get me wrong. Incendies is a good movie. I get why it resonated with so many. I just found the narrative a bit too melodramatic for my taste. But some truly astonishing scenes and shots
I was like damn he's going to put incendies at freaking 4 place (my first Denis Villeneuve movie that I watched), but I am surprising we got the same ranking
My list…. Have not seen Enemy or his first two films, so: 1. Arrival 2. Prisoners 3. Incendies 4. Sicario 5. Polytechnique 6. Blade Runner 2049 7. Dune I and II I think they are all amazing so tough to rank, probably only one of two directors I will see their latest movie without question. The other being Nolan.
