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Denis Villeneuve

Denis Villeneuve

Director, writer, actor and producer · Born October 3, 1967 (59) · Gentilly, Québec, Canada

Oscar nominee · Golden Globe nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 8 other major award bodies

Denis Villeneuve (born October 3, 1967) is a French-Canadian filmmaker. He has received seven Canadian Screen Awards as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Villeneuve's films have grossed more than $1.8 billion worldwide. Villeneuve began his career in his home country, directing four French-language dramas: August 32nd on Earth (1998); Maelström (2000); Polytechnique (2009), a dramatization of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre; and Incendies (2010). The last of these gained him international prominence and earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. He expanded to English-language films by directing the thrillers Prisoners (2013), Enemy (2013), and Sicario (2015). Villeneuve gained wider recognition for directing science fiction films. His work on Arrival (2016) earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director. This was followed by Blade Runner 2049 (2017), which was critically lauded but financially unsuccessful. His next projects were Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024), a two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel of the same name. Both films were critically and commercially successful, with the former earning him Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 3, 1967 (59)
From
Gentilly, Québec, Canada
Works as
Director, writer, actor and producer
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 7% in 30 days

What are Denis Villeneuve's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.

Genres

Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 98th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
31%
Survival
17%
Society
14%
Morality
13%
Power
11%
Ideas
9%
Bonds
4%
Identity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFate2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 2 · Serious 2 · Dark 10

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 7

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 8

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 6 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 1

Full focus: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their full focus movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 0 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 9

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 3 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 10

Ambiguous: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their ambiguous movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 7

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Dread
8
Tense
8
Contemplative
8
Melancholic
7
Bittersweet
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Haunting9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Denis Villeneuve's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Fandor (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Denis Villeneuve's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

37 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page; 25 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Dune: Part Three(2026)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Digger(2026)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Dune: Part Two(2024)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Dune Saga by Denis Villeneuve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show Creator

  • Dune(2021)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Last and First Men(2020)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Thlípsi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Thanks

  • Blade Runner 2049(2017)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Arrival(2016)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Sicario(2015)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Enemy(2013)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Prisoners(2013)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Whitewash(2013)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Mars and April (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Production Consultant

  • Empirical Study on the Influence of Sound on the Persistence of Vision (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Thanks

  • Rated R for Nudity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • Remembering the Ashes: Incendies Through Their Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Actor

  • Incendies(2010)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Polytechnique(2009)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Next Floor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Happiness Bound (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • 120 Seconds to Get Elected (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Writer

  • Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche(2004)

    Thanks · as Self

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Maelstrom(2000)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • August 32nd on Earth(1998)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Cosmos(1996)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Zigrail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Denis

  • REW-FFWD (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director · Writer

  • Icewarrior (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Intern

  • L'ozone n'a qu'une bosse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director · Camera Operator

  • Land of Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director · Camera Operator · Editor

  • Black Ink (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director · Camera Operator

  • In the Footsteps of the Camerosaur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director · Camera Operator · Editor · as Pilot / Engineer / Teacher / Narrator (voice)

  • Nuclear War: A Scenario (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Screening Interview: Dune with Hans Zimmer and Denis Villeneuve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Untitled James Bond Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 37 titles, 33 of them dated from 1990 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Dune: Part Two (2024)

$715M worldwide

Highest rated

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Dune: Part Three (2026)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 37: 3 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting24 of 37: 10 only directing, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score97thWriting10 of 37: 0 only writing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score85thProducing4 of 37: 1 only producing, 3 with another roleEditing2 of 37: 0 only editing, 2 with another roleOther crew13 of 37: 9 only other crew, 4 with another role

37 titles, 14 with more than one role — directing and other crew overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1990s9 · 2 acting · 8 crew2000s6 · crew2010s13 · 1 acting · 12 crew2020s5 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

5 major awards from 36 major nominations, 1997–2025.

WinNomination
  1. 2025
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Motion Picture of the Year
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Director
    • +2 other major bodies · 3 nominations
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Adapted Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
  2. 2022
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Motion Picture of the Year
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay (Adapted)
    • +4 other major bodies · 5 nominations
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Adapted Screenplay
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
  3. 2021
    • Venice award, nominated · Graffetta d'Oro for Best Film
  4. 2018
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
  5. 2017
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Directing
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
  6. 2016
    • Venice award, won · Best Film in Competition
    • Venice award, won
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Film
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
  7. 2015
    • Cannes award, nominated
  8. 2012
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film Not in the English Language
Show 6 earlier years
  1. 2010
    • Venice award, won · Venice Days
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Film (Venice Days)
  2. 2009
    • Cannes award, nominated · Directors' Fortnight
    • Cannes award, nominated
    • Sundance award, nominated
  3. 2008
    • Cannes award, won
    • Cannes award, nominated
  4. 2001
    • Berlinale award, won · Panorama
  5. 1998
    • Cannes award, nominated
  6. 1997
    • Cannes award, nominated · Directors' Fortnight

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Denis Villeneuve's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 87th percentile, the median of the 16 of 17 with a score; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 95th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 16 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · actor

Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004)

92nd percentile spread · 45% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, producer

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 84/100 and the pacing 50/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Denis Villeneuve's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore10 titles20–90 · median 70 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles6–70 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles28–81 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles9–44 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense10 titles40–93 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Denis Villeneuve work with?

People who share at least 2 of Denis Villeneuve's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joe Walker shares the most, 5.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers