All 11 Denis Villeneuve movies, ranked from worst to best

From the outset, some directors establish a high standard, but when it comes to Villeneuve, his first directorial effort might be considered his least impressive work.

On August 32nd, Earth’s calendar finds us following Simone (Pascale Bussières), a model residing in Montreal. After a car accident, she takes a moment to reconsider her life decisions. She opts to have a child with her closest friend Philippe (Alexis Martin), who harbors secret feelings for her.

The film was chosen to represent Canada in the category of Best Foreign Language Film at the 71st Academy Awards.

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Two years following his first foray into feature films, Villeneuve took on the direction of Maelström, an enigmatic romantic drama brimming with intriguing concepts that ultimately fail to resonate. This narrative centers around a colossal fish, who serves as a narrator and is on the brink of being killed.

Marie-Josée Croze portrays Bibiane, a hard-pressed Montreal entrepreneur whose life takes an unexpected turn when she develops feelings for the son of a man she unintentionally struck and killed with her car in a hit-and-run incident. Their relationship is marked by guilt and remorse due to the tragic circumstances surrounding it.

Villeneuve was gradually discovering his directorial style, feeling free to experiment and innovate. Yet, his most remarkable films were yet to be made.

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In the gripping psychological thriller, it’s Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman who take on leading roles. This film is filled with emotional depth and has moments that will make you feel uneasy.

This intense psychological thriller brings together Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman in a storyline that’s both emotionally charged and disturbing at times.

Both sentences convey the same meaning, but the second one may be slightly easier to read and understand for some audiences due to its simpler structure.

The narrative unfolds as two teenage girls are kidnapped in Pennsylvania. The father of one victim, Keller Dover (Jackman), finds his world spiraling out of control as he believes the authorities aren’t doing enough. In response, he, along with his wife Grace (Maria Bello) and the parents of the other missing girl, Nancy (Viola Davis) and Franklin (Terrence Howard), decide to take action themselves.

The film titled “Prisoners” presents an unexpectedly intense narrative, provoking a challenging query: how far might you go to protect those dear to you?

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In the captivating psychological thriller, “Enemy“, Jake Gyllenhaal delivers one of his finest performances as he portrays not just one character, but two, engaging in an intriguing confrontation… and a mysterious spider.

Drawing inspiration from José Saramago’s novel “The Double” published in 2002, the narrative unfolds around Adam (Gyllenhaal), a university professor who encounters an actor in a film who bears an uncanny resemblance to him. Captivated by this likeness, he embarks on a quest to find this actor and ultimately assumes his identity.

It’s a mind-bending movie, but not entirely inaccessible, which makes it an absorbing watch.

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For decades, Hollywood struggled immensely to bring Frank Herbert’s novel Dune to life on the silver screen, but Villeneuve’s expansive visual aesthetic seemed tailor-made for the task.

2021’s “Dune”, boasting an illustrious ensemble including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and others, was a triumph – though its success at the box office was somewhat hindered due to its release during a global pandemic.

In this film, the world of Arrakis sprang vividly to life, yet some spectators may have felt a bit let down due to the scarcity of action scenes. However, it’s important to remember that this initial movie served as a prelude for the more action-packed installments in the sequel.

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Denis Villeneuve’s third film reenacts the 1989 Montreal Massacre, vividly portraying the fear that gripped Canada following this devastating real-life shooting incident. Critics have drawn parallels between this movie and Gus Van Sant’s critically-acclaimed film Elephant from 2003, a work centered around the Columbine High School massacre in the United States.

Prior to the distressing day when a man entered an engineering school intending to kill as many women as possible, watching Polytechnique proves challenging.

In monochrome and clocking in at just 77 minutes, this film stands out as a distinctive work in Denis Villeneuve’s career, marking one of his earliest attempts to portray reality before he gained fame for his thought-provoking science fiction masterpieces.

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Exceptionally impressive, captivating, and intriguing, the sequel to Blade Runner proved to be a significant triumph for Villeneuve. It was no small feat to revisit the universe conceived in Ridley Scott’s 1982 film, but Blade Runner 2049 is visually breathtaking and demonstrates a profound respect for its original counterpart.

30 years post the initial film’s events, the narrative focuses on Agent K (portrayed by Ryan Gosling), a law enforcement officer from LAPD, tasked with ‘retiring’ older models of replicants manufactured by Tyrell Corporation. With newer and more advanced iterations emerging, the corporation, now under the management of Niander Wallace (Jared Leto), aims to develop flawless synthetic humans.

In this highly praised sequel, we find the return of Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, joined by Ana de Armas and Robin Wright on the cast.

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The film “Incendies” marks the point where Denis Villeneuve began to establish his distinctive directorial identity, showcasing his unique visual approach and recurring thematic interests.

In 2010, this movie was nominated for Best International Feature at the Oscars. The story revolves around twins named Jeanne (played by Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette). To honor their late mother’s final request, they embark on a trip to an undisclosed Middle Eastern nation – a journey that takes them to the homeland of their deceased mother. As they traverse this unfamiliar land, they uncover the hardships she faced and the secrets she kept hidden from them.

In the film, Villeneuve demonstrated an impressive knack for blending expansive vistas and spectacular scenery with a deep emotional connection for his characters.

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According to Steven Spielberg, Dune: Part Two ranks as one of the most outstanding sci-fi movies he has ever encountered, and this praise doesn’t even touch on the highest accolades the film received upon its debut.

After the occurrences depicted in the film “Dune,” the story focuses on Paul’s transformation from a hidden member of House Atreides to the prophesied Lisan al Gaib, the anticipated Messiah among the Fremen people.

In this production, Timothée Chalamet takes the lead role, while Zendaya appears more frequently on screen as Chani. Rebecca Ferguson and Austin Butler as Lady Jessica and Feyd-Rautha, respectively, deliver standout performances, captivating audiences throughout the film.

Featuring newcomers like Florence Pugh and Christopher Walken alongside returning stars such as Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin, this highly anticipated sequel garnered global attention, wrapping up a two-part film adaptation based on Frank Herbert’s novel.

The third movie, based on the second book Dune: Messiah, is already in the works with Villeneuve.

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In more accessible terms, Villeneuve’s most gripping thriller so far, titled Sicario, is a powerfully intense and thought-provoking film that left audiences on the edge of their seats. Scenes such as the border control ambush are vividly etched into our memories.

Featuring Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin, this narrative centers around the character of Kate Macer, an earnest FBI agent, who gets involved with a clandestine government unit aimed at dismantling a major drug lord.

In 2018, I was thrilled to see the continuation of the Sicario saga, titled “Sicario: Day of the Soldado.” Both Del Toro and Brolin returned in their captivating roles, but unfortunately, Emily Blunt was not present this time. Instead, Stefano Sollima took over as the director.

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According to Digital Spy‘s ranking (and Rotten Tomatoes too), Arrival is Villeneuve’s best movie.

In my gaming world, I just watched this mind-bending, heart-wrenching sci-fi flick set in a captivating universe. The acting was stellar, and the characters really brought it to life. To top it off, the ending took me by surprise, leaving me puzzling over its meaning.

Featuring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner from Marvel, the plot revolves around Dr. Louise Banks, a renowned linguistics expert tasked with assembling a team of specialists to decipher the language of a recently arrived extraterrestrial life form on our planet.

Of all the outstanding films directed by Denis Villeneuve, it’s the thought-provoking movie, Arrival, that will linger in our memories for a long time.

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