Back in February, Esquire called Dune: Part Two the best sci-fi film of the decade. That’s a pretty bold claim considering Interstellar, Gravity, and everyone’s favorite manic pixie dream robot movie, Ex Machina, were released in the same period. And yet, I don’t think Esquire went far enough. In fact, I think Dune: Part Two is the best film of the decade, full stop.
I realise that’s another bold claim, but after Hans Zimmer’s score for the film was abruptly disqualified from the Oscars this month, I felt it was crucial to sing the praises of our Lisan Al Gaib before the all-important day on March 3rd.
Listen up! People cannot be allowed to forget Dune: Part Two.
Cinematic Memory Loss
As audiences, we have laughably short memories. In a year where Russell Crowe appeared in two completely unrelated exorcism movies, The Pope’s Exorcist and The Exorcism, and nobody noticed, we’re liable to forget about Dune: Part Two by Oscars night.
The second film in the Dune trilogy was released back in March, which is close to a decade in movie years. Even Gladiator II, which dropped into theatres mid November feels like a lifetime ago. For the time being the desert planet Arrakis is the last thing on our minds. We’re squarely focused on Wicked, and Oscars voters won’t be any different.
Do The Oscars Even Matter?
In the short term, no. Behind all the pizazz and red carpet glamour, the Oscars are just another arm of Hollywood publicity – another cog in the machine. Receiving a little golden statue can’t do much for an individual film’s immediate success; In the long term, however, winning an Oscar matters a great deal to a film’s longevity and continued success.
The Shawshank Redemption is the poster child of this. Before the film was nominated for seven Oscars (which it ultimately won none of) Frank Darabont’s tale of a successful banker arrested for the murders of his beloved family crawled through cinemas and totally missed its time to shine. Yet, come Oscars night, Shawshank blossomed into the lauded classic it is today, all thanks to free promotion from the Academy Awards.
So, the Oscars matter for the sake of a film’s endurance, something Dune: Part Two can’t afford to miss out on.
Dune Is Niche, But Also Mainstream
As a series, Dune is not approachable. If Star Wars is the family friendly side of science fiction, then Dune is the emo cousin with face tattoos and a sick leather jacket. Any story about a freaky teenager who travels to a foreign world, digs deep into an intricate space culture and adopts their water-scrounging ways is going to be a tough sell – and that’s before you meet the giant worms.
Very rarely does a film occupy two separate markets: the auteur-loving indie crowd and the action hungry general public. A film is usually an indie or a blockbuster. So, Dune: Part Two is somewhat unique. It could’ve been the awkward middle child of a trilogy, but managed to blossom into something much more profound. Denis Villeneuve’s epic deserves a plane in cinema history, not an eternity bouncing around streaming services like some made for TV Hallmark movie.
Welcome To Netflix Limbo
Ever trawled through Netflix only to declare that, despite having hundreds of movies, there isn’t anything there? People love to hate streaming services. They’re unbelievably convenient, but with price hikes and a spoiled-sport crackdown on password sharing – and the weird phenomena of being so packed yet so empty – the best party in the world suddenly had to turn the music down. Streaming isn’t cool anymore.
The film business is fickle, too. A dizzying amount of dollars are pumped into globetrotting promotional campaigns for the latest blockbusters, only for the film to be dumped onto Netflix a year later, becoming just another title in the sludge of content. For me, Dune: Part Two has to mean more. It’s a masterwork helmed by some of the most talented names in Hollywood and sitting next to Red One on Prime Video tells the general public that both films are on the same level, which isn’t remotely the truth.
Immortality Through Best Picture
Winning Best Picture at the Oscars is a big deal, one that would undoubtedly change everything for the Dune franchise. Like Gladiator, Oppenheimer and No Country For Old Men, Dune: Part Two has the chance to become a member of a very exclusive club. With a Best Picture win you’ve achieved cinematic immortality, forever carrying a universal guarantee of a high quality. So, even sitting beside junk like Red One, the movies can stand out as something special, which it is.
So, will Dune: Part Two win Best Picture in 2025? It’s hard to say. With movies like Wicked and The Brutalist making very strong arguments for why they’re more worthy, it’s up to the Hollywood elites to cast their votes and determine what movie wins immortality.
For what it’s worth, Dune: Part Two is my choice for Best Picture. If it could win Best Everything, I’d give it that, too.
