Why Denis Villeneuve's Sci-Fi Never Misses

Denis Villeneuve's four sci-fi films have won 11 Oscars. He has been nominated four times himself and won none. So how did the director of Sicario and Prisoners become the one Hollywood trusts with Dune and Blade Runner? He didn't start over. Every trick that makes Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and Dune feel the way they do, he built first in small, dark dramas: kill the colour, make the human tiny, let a sound be the monster, send in a stranger, and make you root for the wrong man. Plus Roger Deakins' Oscar on his 14th try, the inside-out blue screen behind Dune's desert, the frozen lake that gave the sandworm its voice, and the 88% box-office flop that didn't end his run. Dune: Part Three opens in cinemas on December 18. 0:00 Eleven Oscars, none for him 0:29 Trick 1: Kill the colour 1:51 The man who hates dialogue 3:32 Trick 2: The right size worm 4:45 Fourteenth time lucky 5:55 An inside-out blue screen 7:16 Trick 3: The noise before the monster 9:06 A frozen lake 10:21 Trick 4: Send in a stranger 11:41 The best-reviewed flop 13:20 Trick 5: Root for the wrong man 14:23 December 18 15:27 The master? #DenisVilleneuve #Dune #BladeRunner2049