The film is a splendid, threadbare tapestry that unravels as you’re watching it. (The Fremen more or less become Tusken Raiders the Bene Gesserit are Macbeth’s witches.) And the result of all that streamlining is that the connective thread linking all these disparate elements into a cohesive whole is nowhere to be found. They skip over explaining most of the dense mythology of this world, instead collapsing entire communities into thinly rendered versions of other recognizable pop-culture figures. Villeneuve and his co-writers, Jon Spaihts (of Passengers and Prometheus) and Eric Roth, rush through character journeys, and shortchange ostensible hero Paul Atreides ( wild-hair-haver Timothée Chalamet). The problem, though, is the film’s pervasive emotional emptiness. If you can get lost in the cocoon of production, costume, and art-design opulence, and sink into the Big Event angle of it all - which is why people go to the movies, isn’t it? - the film, styled as Dune: Part One, can be overwhelmingly evocative. But enough of all that, let’s hone in on the biggest question: should you set aside time this weekend to watch Villeneuve’s latest, hulking sci-fi extravaganza? From our review, Honestly, there’s way too much to explain about Dune than can fit in a single paragraph, which is why we so lovingly put together this handy-dandy guide to explain its vast and strange universe. There are sword fights, politics, intrigue, betrayal, drama, and oh - these colossal creatures called sandworms that burst out of the ground before devouring people. Set in the year 10,191, Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villenueve’s adaptation of the celebrated Frank Herbert sci-fi epic stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, son and heir to the powerful Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), who is forced to leave the planet of his birth to become the newly appointed stewards of Arrakis, a desert planet home to a coveted resource known as melange. Where to watch: Available to rent for $24.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu Image: Warner Bros. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival this past summer, Imbert’s film has garnered significant acclaimed for its stunning visuals, deft pacing, and and impressive characters. Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix Image: Jullianne Films / Folivari / Mélusine Productions / France 3 Cinéma / AuRA Cinémaīased on Jiro Taniguchi’s manga series of the same name, Patrick Imbert’s animated drama The Summit of the Gods follows the story of young Japanese reporter whose quest for the truth behind the first attempted expedition to climb Mount Everest leads him to embark on his own climb of the fabled mountain. This psychological Western’s themes of isolation and toxic masculinity are an ever-tightening lasso of seemingly innocuous events, and they import more horror and meaning on every closer inspection, corralling viewers under an unforgettable spell. The Power of the Dog doesn’t just mark Campion’s return - it’s the best movie of 2021 so far. On a second watch, the connective tissues surrounding the narrative’s tendons don’t just become apparent, they gain a muscular meaning, a robustness that makes the film’s one major reveal even more enlivening. But this is one of those movies that invites rewatches, and Campion is one of those directors who rewards careful subsequent viewing. Its meditative quality makes its abrupt ending feel even more sudden. There are no gun fights or cattle stampedes. No seismic events occur in The Power of the Dog. Does Phil harbor some unrequited, ill-communicated love for Rose and her son, or are there darker motives behind his strange behavior? From our review, that is, until he takes the young Peter under his wing. When Phil’s brother George marries Rose, his desire and method of intimidating them only intensifies. Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix Photo: TIFFīenedict Cumberbatch stars in The Power of the Dog as Phil Burbank, a charismatic yet ruthless rancher who sets his sights on tormenting Rose (Kirsten Dunst), a widow and her impressionable son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee). To help you get a handle on what’s new and available, here are the new movies you can watch with the click of a button this weekend. Plus there are a few new animated films - one aimed at kids, and the other firmly for adults. Jane Campion’s western drama The Power of the Dog starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst finally makes its long-awaited debut on Netflix following its limited theatrical premiere. But if a biographical drama about a lesbian nun in a 17th-century Italian covent doesn’t quite move the needle for you, there’s still plenty of new and exciting releases to watch on VOD and streaming this weekend. This weekend sees the release of Benedetta, the historical erotic drama from acclaimed Dutch auteur Paul Verhoeven ( Total Recall, Robocop).
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