All Denis Villeneuve’s Films Ranked

Denis Villeneuve is a Canadian filmmaker,  who is a four-time recipient of the Canadian Screen Award (formerly Genie Award) for Best Direction, winning for Maelström in 2001, Polytechnique in 2009, Incendies in 2010 and Enemy in 2013. 

Internationally, he is known for directing several critically acclaimed films, including the thrillers Prisoners (2013) and Sicario (2015), as well as the science fiction films Arrival (2016) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). For his work on Arrival, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Director.

His most recent film, Dune (2021), premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival; the film received critical acclaim, was a commercial success at the box office internationally, is currently his highest grossing film to date, and earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture, with the film itself winning a leading six Oscars at the 94th Academy Awards.

We took his public voted scores from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Letterboxd to find the average for each of his films.. Here are the results;

NUMBER OF MOVIES:

CAREER AVERAGE SCORE:

TOTAL WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE:

TOTAL BUDGETS COMBINED:

TOTAL PROFIT OR LOSS:

CAREER PROFIT RETURN ON INVESTMENT 

10

7.73

$ 1,093,134,887

$ 456,900,000

$ 636,234,887

x 2.00

10 – August 32nd on Earth (1998)

Time is Relative 

Drama | Comedy | Romance

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

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6.66 /10

After escaping unscathed from a car accident, photo model Simone decides that having a baby is the only way to give her vacant life some meaning. She asks her best friend Philippe to get her pregnant, and he reluctantly agrees, on the condition that they conceive somewhere in a desert, so they leave Montréal on a 24-hour round-trip to Salt Lake City to find a suitable spot.

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Critics response: Not enough data

2 Critic reviews: 1 positive (50%); 1 negative (50%)

(Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

PROFIT RETURN (OR LOSS IF FIGURE IS UNDER 1):

$ –

$-

$ –

X –

9 – Enemy (2013)
You can’t escape Yourself!
Thriller | Mystery

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

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6.88 /10

A mild-mannered college professor discovers a look-alike actor and delves into the other man’s private affairs.

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Critics response: Generally Positive

122 Critic reviews: 87 positive (71.3%); 35 negative (28.7%)

(Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

PROFIT RETURN (OR LOSS IF FIGURE IS UNDER 1):

$ 3,468,224

$ 3,000,000

$ 468,224

x 1.16

8 – Maelstrom (2000)
You can’t escape Yourself!
Drama | Comedy

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

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6.93 /10

Bibiane, a wealthy part-time model, questions her seemingly perfect life after she has a traumatic abortion.

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Critics response: Very Positive

38 Critic reviews: 30 positive (78.9%); 8 negative (21.1%)

(Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

PROFIT RETURN (OR LOSS IF FIGURE IS UNDER 1):

$ 254,380

$ 3,400,000

$ (3,145,620)

x 0.07

7 – Polytechnique (2009)
Polytechnique

Drama | Crime | History

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

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7.37 /10

A dramatization of the Montreal Massacre of 1989 where several female engineering students were murdered by an unstable misogynist.

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Critics response: Extremely Positive

17 Critic reviews: 15 positive (88.2%); 2 negative (11.8%)

(Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

PROFIT RETURN (OR LOSS IF FIGURE IS UNDER 1):

$ 1,700,000

$ 6,000,000

$ (4,300,000)

x 0.28

6 – Sicario (2015)
The border is just another line to cross.

Action | Crime | Thriller

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

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7.97 /10

After rising through the ranks of her male-dominated profession, idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) receives a top assignment. Recruited by mysterious government official Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), Kate joins a task force for the escalating war against drugs. Led by the intense and shadowy Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), the team travels back-and-forth across the U.S.-Mexican border, using one cartel boss (Bernardo Saracino) to flush out a bigger one (Julio Cesar Cedillo).

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Critics response: Overwhelmingly Positive

281 Critic reviews: 258 positive (91.8%); 23 negative (8.2%)

(Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

PROFIT RETURN (OR LOSS IF FIGURE IS UNDER 1):

$ 84,997,446

$ 30,000,000

$ 54,997,446

x 2.83

5 – Arrival (2016)
Why are they here?
Drama | Science Fiction | Mystery

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

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8.08 /10

Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.

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Critics response: Universal Praise

436 Critic reviews: 412 positive (94.5%); 24 negative (5.5%)

(Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

PROFIT RETURN (OR LOSS IF FIGURE IS UNDER 1):

$ 203,388,186

$ 47,000,000

$ 156,388,186

x 4.33

4 – Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
The key to the future is finally unearthed.

Drama | Science Fiction

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

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8.10 /10

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.

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Critics response: Extremely Positive

444 Critic reviews: 390 positive (87.8%); 54 negative (12.2%)

(Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

PROFIT RETURN (OR LOSS IF FIGURE IS UNDER 1):

$ 259,352,064

$ 150,000,000

$ 109,352,064

x 1.73

3 – Dune (2021)
It begins.
Science Fiction | Adventure

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

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8.33 /10

Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

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Critics response: Extremely Positive

489 Critic reviews: 407 positive (83.2%); 82 negative (16.8%)

(Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

PROFIT RETURN (OR LOSS IF FIGURE IS UNDER 1):

$ 401,847,900

$ 165,000,000

$ 236,847,900

x 2.44

2 – Prisoners (2013)
Every moment matters.
Drama | Thriller | Crime

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

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8.41 /10

Keller Dover faces a parent’s worst nightmare when his 6-year-old daughter, Anna, and her friend go missing. The only lead is an old motorhome that had been parked on their street. The head of the investigation, Detective Loki, arrests the driver, but a lack of evidence forces Loki to release his only suspect. Dover, knowing that his daughter’s life is at stake, decides that he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

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Critics response: Very Positive

253 Critic reviews: 204 positive (80.6%); 49 negative (19.4%)

(Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

PROFIT RETURN (OR LOSS IF FIGURE IS UNDER 1):

$ 122,126,687

$ 46,000,000

$ 76,126,687

x 2.65

1 – Incendies (2010)
The search began at the opening of their mother’s will.
Drama | War | Mystery

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

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8.69 /10

A mother’s last wishes send twins Jeanne and Simon on a journey to Middle East in search of their tangled roots. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad’s acclaimed play, Incendies tells the powerful and moving tale of two young adults’ voyage to the core of deep-rooted hatred, never-ending wars and enduring love.

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Critics response: Extremely Positive

122 Critic reviews: 112 positive (91.8%); 10 negative (8.2%)

(Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS:

PRODUCTION BUDGET:

PROFIT OR (LOSS):

PROFIT RETURN (OR LOSS IF FIGURE IS UNDER 1):

$ 16,000,000

$ 6,500,000

$ 9,500,000

x 2.46