A Glean movie guide
Beyond Arrakis: Epic Sci-Fi & Grand Journeys
For fans of the spice and the sand.
High-concept worlds, political intrigue, and breathtaking cinematic scale.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Blade Runner 2049
A visually stunning, slow-burn masterpiece from the director of Dune that shares its atmospheric, serious tone.
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
- 02
Lawrence of Arabia
The sweeping desert epic that served as a primary historical inspiration for Frank Herbert’s original novel.
During World War I, English officer Thomas Edward 'T.E.' Lawrence sets out to unite and lead the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes to fight the Turks.
- 03
Interstellar
A grand-scale odyssey that balances scientific ambition with high-stakes human drama across the stars.
The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
- 04
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
An ecological epic featuring a messianic leader and a world reclaimed by nature and giant insects.
After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the Valley engage in an epic struggle to restore the bond between humanity and Earth.
- 05
2001: A Space Odyssey
A foundational sci-fi epic defined by its philosophical depth and deliberate, visual-first storytelling.
Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.
- 06
Mad Max: Fury Road
A relentless desert spectacle focused on tribal politics, resource scarcity, and immersive world-building.
An apocalyptic story set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, and most everyone is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world exist two rebels on the run who just might be able to restore order.
- 07
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
The definitive space opera that echoes Dune’s themes of galactic empires and a young hero's mystical destiny.
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.
- 08
The Creator
A visually ambitious war story exploring the complex, high-stakes relationship between humanity and technology.
Amid a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife, is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war—and mankind itself.
- 09
Arrival
A cerebral first-contact drama that prioritizes intellectual discovery and a grounded, serious atmosphere.
Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
- 10
Children of Men
A gritty, grounded look at political instability and a miraculous hope for the survival of the human race.
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.
- 11
Dune
David Lynch’s surreal and divisive take on the same legendary source material offers a unique alternative vision.
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.