feelsalike.com

Movies that feel like Dune (1984)

If you loved Dune, the closest films we have are Moonraker (1979), Star Wars (1977) and Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). All three share Dune's kinetic and cerebral feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 9 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu and others, checked against today's data.

In the year 10,191, the most precious substance in the universe is the spice Melange. The spice extends life. The spice expands consciousness. The spice is vital to space travel. The spice exists on only one planet in the entire universe, the vast desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune. Its native inhabitants, the Fremen, have long held a prophecy that a man would come, a messiah who would lead them to true freedom.

πŸ… 36% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.3 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. David Lynchkineticcerebralepicawe

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If Dune hit the spot, these will too

Moonraker poster
Moonraker
1979 Β· dir. Lewis Gilbert
πŸ… 59%β˜… 6.3action Β· adventure Β· thriller

Both are built on the same subject: space marine

The difference: Leans harder into thriller than Dune does

After Drax Industries' Moonraker space shuttle is hijacked, secret agent James Bond is assigned to investigate, traveling to California to meet the company's owner, the mysterious Hugo Drax. With the help of scientist Dr. Holly Goodhead, Bond soon uncovers Drax's nefarious plans for humanity, all the while fending off an old nemesis, Jaws, and venturing to Venice, Rio, the Amazon...and even outer space.

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Star Wars poster
Star Wars
1977 Β· dir. George Lucas
πŸ… 93%β˜… 8.6adventure Β· action Β· science fiction

Common ground in both: empire and galaxy

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

Princess Leia is captured and held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker and dashing captain Han Solo team together with the loveable robot duo R2-D2 and C-3PO to rescue the beautiful princess and restore peace and justice in the Empire.

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Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace poster
πŸ… 54%β˜… 6.5adventure Β· action Β· science fiction

Both keep coming back to the same thing: prophecy

Anakin Skywalker, a young slave strong with the Force, is discovered on Tatooine. Meanwhile, the evil Sith have returned, enacting their plot for revenge against the Jedi.

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Tron poster
Tron
1982 Β· dir. Steven Lisberger
πŸ… 60%β˜… 6.7science fiction Β· action Β· adventure

Both land momentum and ideas at once

When brilliant video game maker Flynn hacks the mainframe of his ex-employer, he is beamed inside an astonishing digital world and becomes part of the very game he is designing. In his mission through cyberspace, Flynn matches wits with a maniacal Master Control Program and teams up with Tron, a security measure created to bring balance to the digital environment.

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The Empire Strikes Back poster
The Empire Strikes Back
1980 Β· dir. Irvin Kershner
πŸ… 93%β˜… 8.7adventure Β· action Β· science fiction

The same preoccupation in both: rebellion

The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.

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John Carter poster
John Carter
2012 Β· dir. Andrew Stanton
πŸ… 52%β˜… 6.6action Β· adventure Β· science fiction

The same mix in both: scale, then awe

The difference: Made in the 2010s, in a different era of the craft

John Carter is a war-weary, former military captain who's inexplicably transported to the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars) and reluctantly becomes embroiled in an epic conflict. It's a world on the brink of collapse, and Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets poster
πŸ… 47%β˜… 6.4adventure Β· science fiction Β· action

One thread runs through both: the future

In the 28th century, Valerian and Laureline are special operatives charged with keeping order throughout the human territories. On assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two undertake a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where species from across the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence, and cultures. At the center of Alpha is a mysterious dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

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Ender's Game poster
Ender's Game
2013 Β· dir. Gavin Hood
πŸ… 63%β˜… 6.6science fiction Β· action Β· adventure

Action built on momentum, twice over

Based on the classic novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game is the story of the Earth's most gifted children training to defend their homeplanet in the space wars of the future.

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Planet of the Apes poster
Planet of the Apes
1968 Β· dir. Franklin J. Schaffner
πŸ… 86%β˜… 8science fiction Β· adventure Β· drama

Common ground: space marine

The difference: Sits closer to drama than Dune does

Astronaut Taylor crash lands on a distant planet ruled by apes who use a primitive race of humans for experimentation and sport. Soon Taylor finds himself among the hunted, his life in the hands of a benevolent chimpanzee scientist.

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Independence Day poster
Independence Day
1996 Β· dir. Roland Emmerich
πŸ… 77%β˜… 7action Β· adventure Β· science fiction

Cerebral science fiction, and it commits to that

Strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived. Its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.

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Superman poster
Superman
1978 Β· dir. Richard Donner
πŸ… 87%β˜… 7.4science fiction Β· action Β· adventure

Both keep coming back to the same thing: galaxy

The difference: Missing the awe of Dune

Mild-mannered Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush, Lois Lane. Clark must summon his superhero alter-ego when the nefarious Lex Luthor launches a plan to take over the world.

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(T)Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1 poster
(T)Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1
2004 Β· dir. Michael Herbig
β˜… 5.5comedy Β· science fiction Β· adventure

Common ground: the future

The difference: Not nearly as kinetic as Dune

Hundreds of years after humans have settled on Mars, Regulator Rogul and Lord Jens Maul lead a force of Martians to Earth in order to conquer the planet. Queen Metaphor looks to the gay heroes aboard the Dreamship Surprise – Captain Kork, Mr. Spuck, and first engineer Schrotty – for help.

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The best-reviewed films that share Dune’s defining feeling.