Dune (1984)
A world beyond your experience, beyond your imagination.
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.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 14 December 1984 |
| Genre | Action, Science Fiction, Adventure |
| Director | David Lynch |
| Starring | Kyle MacLachlan, Francesca Annis and Patrick Stewart |
| Runtime | 136 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 5.9/10 · Metacritic 41/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 36% · TMDB users 6.2/10 |
Where to watch Dune
Dune is streaming on Tubi in the US.
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Rent or buy
You can rent or buy Dune on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Dune in 6 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Angola | Prime Video |
| Canada | Prime Video $9.99 CAD |
| Cuba | Prime Video |
| France | Canal+ €19.99 |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Switzerland | Canal+ |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation is a 136-minute odyssey into the desert planet Arrakis. It trades the grounded politics of the source material for a fever dream of light and shadow. The spice here is less a resource and more a hallucinogenic fog that dissolves the line between reality and vision. It is a film that prioritizes texture over exposition, asking you to feel the heat rather than understand the logistics. It does not explain itself. It expects you to surrender to the sensory overload and let the mystery unfold in your own head, which is a risky bet.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes sits at 36% as of January 2026, a figure that makes "mostly negative" sound generous. Metacritic offers 41 out of 100, which is polite but not kind. Roger Ebert called it "a real mess" and the worst movie of the year. Gene Siskel agreed, noting the story is "confusing beyond belief." Janet Maslin found the plot "perilously overloaded." Critics blamed the length and the exposition. It is a film that asks you to do homework.
How it did with audiences
The film opened in 915 theaters on December 14, 1984, ranking second behind Beverly Hills Cop. It grossed $31 million, a figure that fell short of the estimated $40–42 million production budget. The film was considered a box-office failure and has been called the "Heaven's Gate of science fiction." TMDB users give it a 6.2 out of 10. The numbers were grim, but the reputation survived the receipts.
What came next for the cast
Patrick Stewart went from Little Lord Fauntleroy to the X-Men franchise. Kyle MacLachlan followed The Changeling with Blue Velvet and How I Met Your Mother. Francesca Annis appeared in Cleopatra, then later in The Libertine and King of Thieves. Linda Hunt moved from The Year of Living Dangerously to NCIS: Los Angeles. The credits list these shifts, but they do not prove Dune caused them.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Dune.
Sources
- Dune on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q114819 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Dune (1984 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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