If you’re like us, then you’re probably still reeling from the high of watching Denis Villeneuve’s sequel adaptation of Dune, based on the 1965 novel series by Frank Herbert. Dune: Part Two is just as massive and ethereal as its 2021 predecessor and is living up to the hype as the best cinematic portrayal of the sci-fi epic we’ve ever seen (sorry David Lynch – we still love Mulholland Drive!), so we’ve plucked out a couple of top-notch flicks to help fill the Dune-shaped hole in your hearts down below.

THE QUIET EARTH What would you do if you woke up one day to find the entire world utterly empty and devoid of other people? That is exactly what happens in this underrated and minimalist sci-fi Kiwi flick from 1985, The Quiet Earth, based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Craig Harrison. The film follows Zac Hobson, a scientist working on the secretive and unknown “Project Flashlight”, trying to unravel the mystery of his lonesome predicament. He manages to find two survivors before realising another danger is on its way: the sun is now threatening their survival. It’s such a shame that this movie is not nearly as revered as it should be, since it’s filled to the brim with originality and is visually stunning – its low-budget effects only add to its charm.

TREASURE PLANET The animated Disney flicks of the 2000s don’t get nearly half as much love as they should. Sure, they might not have lived up to the impossible standard set up in the so-called ‘renaissance era’ of the decade prior, but we reckon that this spacey interpretation of Treasure Island deserves more praise. This 2002 sci-fi adventure flick is set in a steampunk-inspired future where space pirates fly through the galaxy seeking loot, including main character Jim Hawkins (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who spends the film following a holographic map alongside a motley crew of aliens, cyborgs and other sci-fi folk. If you’re keen on something Dune-y without having to set aside two hours, then this animated movie makes for a lovely watch.

JODOROWKSY’S DUNE Before Denis Villeneuve and David Lynch had a go at adapting Dune as a larger-than-life film, the avant-garde Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky had his own big plans for the sandscaped epic in the ‘70s that would’ve starred Salvador Dalí, Orson Welles and even Mick Jagger in main roles. This film never came to be – primarily because the script became as long as a phone book and the budget became swallowed up by his ever-growing ambitious concepts – but it still manages to live on via this 2013 documentary about the production of Jodorowsky’s failed project. Jodorowsky’s proposed elaborate visuals are impressive even to this day, with many fans describing his ill-fated film as “the greatest film never made”. Give it a watch for yourself, since it’s the closest we’ll ever get to watching this truly wild and unique sci-fi experience. 

ANNIHILATION Now venturing (slightly) back into the realm of reality, Annihilation is a 2018 sci-fi horror movie starring Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson and Gina Rodriguez. Together, the crew ventures inside an unknown anomaly known as “The Shimmer”, a mysterious zone that begins mutating living organisms. It’s a lot spookier than the other movies on this list, with an especially strange ending scene that we can bet will linger inside your noggins long after the credits roll. Not to mention that there’s an equally unsettling soundtrack that perfectly manages to encapsulate the beautifully weird antics found in this film. A quick word to the wise: you might be a teeny bit more scared of bears than you were before watching this one. 

DISTRICT 9 Inspired by the real-world events of the South African apartheid, this 2009 mockumentary-style, science fiction and action film explores an alternate history where a spaceship filled with malnourished and insect-like aliens arrives in Johannesburg. The aliens are quickly subjugated, discriminated against and confined to live inside an internment camp with slum-like conditions. Exploring themes of xenophobia and segregation, District 9 follows bureaucrat Wikus van de Merwe who becomes infected with a mysterious serum and slowly transforms into an alien, ironically leading to him discover his own humanity in the process. It’s a film that examines South Africa’s dark history of racial segregation through the lens of a sci-fi epic, and you probably won’t look at prawns the same way after.