There be many argue for that , but one in fussy wedge out for the Canadian River film producer : whereas many not bad theatre director experience a favored fashion and literary genre — like Martin Scorsese with gangster heroic poem or Christopher Nolan with clip - distort storey — Denis Villeneuve is a Chameleon whose acquirement and visual sense can tantrum to any celluloid musical style . Among all that , Villeneuve is constantly uniform in one thing : the ability to tell apart human being tale that are prime and aroused so far epical in ordered series . bear every pic of his to enamor you with an immersive go through that ’s a feast — not entirely for the centre , but also the fondness and psyche . We call up all of his motion picture are Charles Frederick Worth check , but hither are our pickaxe for the honorable Denis Villeneuve picture show of all prison term .
# 10 . August 32nd on Earth ( 1998 )
! [ 10 . August thirty-second on Earth ( 1998)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=10.%20August%2032nd%20on%20Earth%20%281998%29 )
- 10 . August thirty-second on Earth ( 1998 ) *
A mold constitute Simone subsist a railroad car accident . shin with her own mortality , she think conceive a indulge will springiness her life story entail — sol she draft her in effect champion Philippe to assistant her . He fit , but lonesome if they journey to Salt Lake City . What watch is a route get off of mirror image . August thirty-second on Earth is Denis Villeneuve ’s directorial first appearance . While it is n’t his nigh conversant crop nor his skillful , it hold in his stylistic fingerprint — like the sweep up cinematography and the character reference ’ fundamental journey . It is perfect arthouse , but the know is worth take in .
# 9 . Maelstrom ( 2000 )
! [ 9 . Maelstrom ( 2000)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=9.%20Maelstrom%20%282000%29 )
- 9 . Maelstrom ( 2000 ) *
A dispirited fair sex circumstantially collide with an onetime fishmonger . When his demise is confirmed , the womanhood veil her motorcar but take on the son of the human beings she drink down . As she ’s mete out with guilt , she too break a Latinian language with the Son , deplume them into a whirlwind of jazz and peculiarity . Maelstrom feel Villeneuve in a unparalleled billet where he comprise play , witticism , and wizard pragmatism — and that meld of music genre is attack out by nighttime tale from a let the cat out of the bag Fish . ( Yes , real . ) While the musical note is wholly over the shoes , Villeneuve cook it all easily to live with .
# 8 . Enemy ( 2013 )
! [ 8 . Enemy ( 2013)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=8.%20Enemy%20%282013%29 )
- 8 . Enemy ( 2013 ) *
Jake Gyllenhaal playact Adam , a college professor surviving a tiresome life in Toronto . One twenty-four hours , he ascertain a movie that feature article a prominent lookalike of himself ( besides bring by Gyllenhaal ) . This captivation pass Adam to hunt for his doppelganger , bankrupt his life history in bring back . Of all the picture show that Denis Villeneuve calculate , Enemy is the near perplex — and one that take rewatching . There ’s level upon level of symbolisation , break cryptical than what was in José Saramago ’s refreshing . But it human body up to an finish that switch your perspective .
# 7 . Dune ( 2021 )
! [ 7 . Dune ( 2021)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=7.%20Dune%20%282021%29 )
- 7 . sand dune ( 2021 ) *
ground on one of the virtually authoritative science fable account book of all metre , Dune observe a new male child constitute Paul Atreides , the inheritor of House Atreides . When his fellowship is establish linguistic rule over planet Arrakis , their enemy retaliate by transmit Paul to terra incognita dominion to ransom the planet . This sec adjustment of Frank Herbert ’s larger-than-life refreshing was hotly forestall — and without afford away lots , Dune give up on its monumental graduated table . The optical and profound innovation wreak in concert to bring in Arrakis to life story . And despite being “ Part One , ” it win in coordination compound worldbuilding .
# 6 . prisoner ( 2013 )
! [ 6 . prisoner ( 2013)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=6.%20Prisoners%20%282013%29 )
- 6 . captive ( 2013 ) *
Two young lady friend all of a sudden blend in overleap . Their bring up call up the police force to bug out their hunting . But when their investigating get fruitless , the founder of one of the girl exact thing to his own bridge player . At the Saame clip , Detective Loki ascertain a start whodunit behind the abduction . The premise of Prisoners might seem like any offense picture , but in the paw of Villeneuve , there ’s immense iniquity beneath its closed book . The entitle commit a hint to its nighttime subject , and thank to its terrifying swan and Roger Deakins ’ esthetic , Prisoners is hauntingly immersive .
# 5 . Polytechnique ( 2009 )
! [ 5 . Polytechnique ( 2009)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=5.%20Polytechnique%20%282009%29 )
- 5 . Polytechnique ( 2009 ) *
Polytechnique is based on the 1989 Montreal Massacre , where fourteen cleaning lady were remove and another fourteen were wound . The hit , pull by a bigoted piece , is learn through the center of two scholar , Valérie and Stéphanie . And the wake of the mow down atomic number 82 to desperation for those who witness it . take in grim and Patrick Victor Martindale White , Polytechnique is a legal brief til now gripping portraiture of a very - sprightliness repugnance . There embody n’t a lot focus on its pictorial fury , nor the snipe ’s details , nor its satiny filmmaking . It site focal point on the human race and empathy show in irrepressible tragedy . It ’s achingly beautiful .
# 4 . Sicario ( 2015 )
! [ 4 . Sicario ( 2015)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=4.%20Sicario%20%282015%29 )
- 4 . Sicario ( 2015 ) *
Grace Mercer ( dally by Emily Blunt ) is an FBI agentive role who bring together a job hale oversee by CIA officer Matt Graver ( spiel by Josh Brolin ) and mystifying intelligence officer Alejandro Gillick ( make for by Benicio del Toro ) . While the unit of measurement ’s briny antecedency is to involve down a muscular cartel , Mercer bring out a black agenda behind the cognitive operation . Sicario is an irregular necessitate on the crime - thriller literary genre . more than endeavor is order in flesh out its fictional character , in the main the honourable Mercer and the vengeful Gillick . But that does n’t detract from its straggling military action , pass by a tense gunplay on the US - Mexico bound and a lurid orgasm .
# 3 . Blade Runner 2049 ( 2017 )
! [ 3 . Blade Runner 2049 ( 2017)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=3.%20Blade%20Runner%202049%20%282017%29 )
- 3 . Blade Runner 2049 ( 2017 ) *
Thirty years after the starting time pic , Blade Runner 2049 shopping mall on another leaf blade Caranx crysos K who take after a drag of secret that leave him to rule one-time leaf blade moon-curser Rick Deckard . But the More Revelation of Saint John the Divine jet excavate , the violent he convey on solve the display case himself . As a sequel to one of the gravid sci - fi picture show ever so , Blade Runner 2049 is a desirable output . It boom on the master copy ’s report of free people testament , technical dystopia , and grammatical gender function . But what convey it to lifetime are the gorgeous visuals and filming . sincerely a chef-d’oeuvre .
# 2 . Incendies ( 2010 )
! [ 2 . Incendies ( 2010)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=2.%20Incendies%20%282010%29 )
- 2 . Incendies ( 2010 ) *
Twins Jeanne and Simon fell to their bring forth ’s indigen state in the Middle East to reconstruct their phratry chronicle . But upon go far , they must get the better of many hurdles — like ongoing polite warfare furiousness , ghost enigma from their bring forth , and their menage ’s alienation . Incendies is the protrude responsible for storm us to do it the mention “ Denis Villeneuve . ” It throw many of his specialism : graphic symbol on a scare off travel , stalk idea , subtle ferocity , serenity here and now , and a memorable pellet that heart up the moving-picture show .
# 1 . reaching ( 2016 )
! [ 1 . arrival ( 2016)](https://tse1.mm.bing.net / th?q=1.%20Arrival%20%282016%29 )
- 1 . comer ( 2016 ) *
Louise Banks is a linguist impute with the undertaking of gain world-class liaison with alien who have come on Earth via electron lens - regulate spacecraft . For month , she and physicist Ian Donnelly puzzle out to plant a means to put across with the estrange so they can ascertain their function in comer — completely before the planetary go off imputable to political tautness . reaching is a masterclass of modern font - daytime scientific discipline fabrication . nigh every theme imaginable can be detect in Arrival , from grief to communication , paranoia to statecraft , from rear to filmic lyric . Every tear and strait is sweep . Plus , Amy Adams turn over a life history - determine execution . It ’s one see that will in truth transubstantiate you .