Films to watch after Dune: 5 movies to watch if you liked sci-fi epic, from Blade Runner 2049 to Tremors

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune sequel is set to become a classic of the sci-fi genre, and we’ve taken a look at other (mostly) great movies to watch if you are a fan.

Dune opens in the UK on Friday (March 1) and is set to become the highest grossing film of the year so far by a decent margin, with some tracking services predicting the sequel will make $1 billion at the box office, a feat not managed since Barbie last year.

If you're one of the early birds, heading to the cinema over the opening weekend - or even on Friday's midnight screening - and you're looking for more great sci-fi and other similar films to watch, we have you covered. The are the top films you should watch next if you liked Dune and Dune: Part II:

Avatar 1 and 2

There are a few parallels with Avatar and Dune that mean that if you enjoyed one you’ll probably like the other. They both take place on an interesting alien planet, and in both cases invaders are exploiting the new world for a valuable mineral, and in doing so escalate a war in the process. Additionally, both the Avatar and Dune films are really long, so if you can make it through the 167 minute Dune 2, you’ll probably manage the 3hr 12 minute epic that is Avatar: The Way of the Water.

Blade Runner 2049

Another Denis Villeneuve hit, this 2017 sequel sees a young blade runner, played by Ryan Gosling, track down Harrsion Ford’s Rick Deckard, who has been missing for three decades. It’s likely the most thematically similar to Dune - a slow burn that eventually bubbles over into bursts of serious violence. It’s also another Bautista and Villeneuve collaboration, and one of the former’s greatest screen roles. 

Tremors

What’s to explain here? The ‘graboids’ huge underground worms hunting for food above the surface terrorise the town of Perfection, Nevada. Whilst the iconic sandworms in Dune don’t have much screen time in part I, they are expected to feature much more in the sequel. Tremors is essentially Dune but with none of the intergalactic politics and Hans Zimmer’s creepy score.

Lawrence of Arabia

You’d think it’s a bit of a leap to draw a line from Lawrence of Arabia to Dune, but if wide shots of sand dunes that seem to go on for hours is your thing, then these two epic movies could make the perfect double bill. In each movie the setting is a huge part of the film, and T.E. Lawrence’s role in the Arab revolt is certainly comparable with Paul Atriedes’ war with the Fremen against the Emperor.

Dune (1984)

If you enjoyed Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies why not go back and watch the original adaptation, directed by David Lynch. It’s not as good, in fact it borders on the so-bad-it’s-good hate watch territory. But the film tells the same story in less than half the time as Part 1 and 2 combined, making it much breezier.