Science fiction fans have long celebrated the illustrious Dune book series, which was first introduced in 1965.  Dune: Part One, released in September 2021, kicks off with the tale of a futuristic society where Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV oversees the galaxy.  He shares authority with the Landsraad legislature and the Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles.  The latter is operated by noble houses that divide the galaxy into regions known as fiefdoms.  Each house has power over a planet, but the most prized resource in this system is the melange, commonly known as “spice” among the residents.  This raw material helps manufacture dry goods and holds health benefits. 

Things take a dramatic turn when Shaddam IV asks Duke Leto Atreides to overthrow Baron Vladimir Harkonnen as the fiefholder of Arrakis. What makes this planet stand out among the rest is that it is the primary producer of “spice.” However, its harsh conditions result in dry and dangerous desert conditions.  However, Shaddam IV soon begins to hatch a separate plan to take down Leto and his house and reclaim Arrakis after Leto takes over.  The Duke must then devise his own plan to befriend the Arrakis natives to outsmart Shaddam IV.  Sadly, Duke will lose his life, with his son Paul forced to step up, which is showcased in March 2024’s Dune: Part Two.  Both films are blockbuster releases, with Part One $407 million worldwide, while Part Two brought in $714 million.  Thankfully, there are several other action-packed sci-fi flicks similar to this exciting film and sequel. Here are nine movies like Dune that you might enjoy.

Neptune Frost (2021)

IMDB: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, Fandango at Home, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV

If you’re looking for movies like Dune but find yourself thinking ‘this could be a musical,’ you’re in luck with 2021’s Neptune Frost. Produced by Ezra Miller and Lin-Manuel Miranda, this Cannes Film Festival standout spans through the past, the present, and the future in post-civil war Rwanda, set in a village made of computer parts. Another Afrofuturist entry for this list, this music-filled flick tells a tale of the romance between an intersex runaway named Neptune and a coltan miner as they lead a hacker collective. There’s technokinetic powers, underground communities, and the power of the subconscious. It’s a little surreal, and definitely difficult to describe. If you’re into the idea of getting even more into deep sci-fi than you went with Dune, you need to check out Neptune Frost.

Space Is the Place (1974)

IMDB: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 71%
Where to Watch: Max, YouTube, Hulu, Amazon Prime

Take it all the way back to the 70s with this Afrofuturist sci-fi film. If you haven’t heard of Space Is the Place, it’s described by reviewers as a “singular joyride.” Played by the musician of the same name, the film’s star Sun Ra is a prophet and avant-jazz bandleader who lands a spaceship in Oakland, where he deals with a satanic overlord named The Overseer and hosts a world concert for the sake of unity and equality to African-Americans. Have parts of this film aged poorly? Maybe, but it’s filled with incredible visuals that harken back to the height of 70s sci-fi and absolutely absurd details that will please fans of Dune‘s more bizarre sci-fi elements. If you didn’t like how long Dune was, by the way, fear not: Space Is the Place is only 85 minutes.

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

IMDB: 4.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 43%
Where to Watch: Sling TV, Disney+, Google Play, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime

Based on the 1962 novel of the same name, A Wrinkle in Time is a movie like Dune that’s great for the kids, or just for someone who wants their sci-fi a little less intense. The film centers around a young teen named Meg Murry who is bullied at school and currently missing her father, who disappeared under strange circumstances. It turns out, however, that a tesseract, the very method of space travel that Meg’s father had been studying, is in fact real. There’s time travel, planetary hops, and lessons in overcoming self-doubt and embracing your own imperfections. It was the first live-action film with a $100 million dollar budget to be directed by an African-American woman, namely Ava DuVernay.

Don’t let the mixed reviews fool you – A Wrinkle in Time is fun, gorgeous to look at, and filled to the brim with sci-fi thrills that will leave you wanting more.

Tenet (2020)

IMDB: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 70%
Where to Watch: Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, Fandango at Home

A science fiction action thriller, Tenet, directed by Christopher Nolan, follows a former CIA agent, named simply ‘Protagonist’ and played by John David Washington, that finds himself within the walls of a secret organization. His job? Track down objects that seem to be traveling backward in time in order to uncover their connection to an attack all the way from the future to the present. An Oscar winner for Best Visual Effects at the 93rd Academy Awards, the film’s focus on ‘inverted entropy’ will capture sci-fi fans who want more of the high-concept tech-based sci-fi from Dune.

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

IMDB: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 28%
Where to Watch: Google Play, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Fandango at Home

The Chronicles of Riddick follows the titular character, a galactic criminal evading capture as bounty hunters pursue him.  During his run, Riddick is met with troubling news that a vicious army known as the Necromongers is killing human life within the galaxy, similar to the plight seen in Dune.  An ambassador for the Elemental race uses his wisdom to guide Riddick and pushes him to help defeat the Necromongers, believing that he is the chosen man to overthrow them and their evil leader. 

Treasure Planet (2002)

IMDB: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 69%
Where to Watch: Disney +, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Fandango at Home, Google Play, Apple TV

Treasure Planet follows 15-year-old Jim Hawkins, who locates a map promising directions to a massive pirate trove.  This animated space adventure leads Jim on a journey through the galaxy to hunt down the treasure as he faces various hurdles to secure these untouched riches. Though it originally performed poorly at the box office, this animate sci-fi adventure has recently had a small uptick in popularity, where it’s considered a hidden gem of a movie.

The Fifth Element (1997)

IMDB: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 71%
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, Fandango at Home

The Fifth Element is set in the 23rd century when residents across the globe are at risk of being annihilated.  This is thanks to the Earth being in the direct path of a giant fireball that was birthed from an evil entity. Priest Vito Cornelius alerts the President of the futuristic territory of the evil’s origins and how to defeat it. He soon employs the help of several quirky characters, including a taxi driver and former secret agent, to assist the plan before the planet runs out of time. 

Stargate (1994)

IMDB: 7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 53%
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, AMC+, Philo, YouTube, Sling TV, The Roku Channel

Another classic movie like Dune, Stargate keeps viewers on the edge of their seats as it explores Professor Daniel Jackson in modern-day Egypt as he joins forces with a retired Army vet to uncover the secrets of an interstellar gateway to a separate ancient Egyptian world. However, upon arriving, the pair soon realize their exploration is not as sweet as imagined when they encounter the planet’s ruler, Ra.  They quickly realize they are trapped, with only Ra having the power to release them, though he doesn’t want to. In order to escape this faraway land, the partners must turn the planet’s inhabitants against Ra to free themselves and the citizens under his strict regime. 

Interstellar (2014)

IMDB: 8.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 73%
Where to Watch: Paramount+, YouTube, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Fandango at Home, Apple TV

Interstellar is another outstanding science fiction drama movie like Dune that finds Earth in destruction.  A group of NASA astronauts faces immense pressure in the year 2067 when they are tasked with traveling through a wormhole near Saturn to locate a new home for mankind.  Additionally, they are assisted by artificially intelligent robots but face a growing list of dangers while completing their mission.