Dune

Set in a distant future where interstellar travel depends on a spice found only on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune follows young Paul Atreides as his family takes stewardship of the planet — and walks into a trap. Herbert weaves ecology, religion, politics, and messianic prophecy into a novel that single-handedly invented the modern science-fiction epic. It remains the best-selling science-fiction novel of all time.

Villeneuve's adaptation covers only the first half of Herbert's novel, giving the world the breathing room it deserves. Hans Zimmer's alien score and Greig Fraser's cinematography create an Arrakis that feels genuinely alien. Some of Paul's internal prescient visions are simplified, and the Spacing Guild's role is reduced, but this is the definitive screen version of an 'unfilmable' book.