Denis Villeneuve Names the Film He Believes Comes Closest to Perfection
Denis Villeneuve has always felt like a director who never stops thinking about movies. Over the years, he has built a reputation for making films that look huge but still feel personal. His stories often focus on fear, identity, and what it means to be human.
That approach comes from a deep love of cinema history. Villeneuve has said many times that older films shaped how he sees the world. Movies like Seven Samurai and There Will Be Blood left a strong mark on him. But when he was asked to name the film he had watched more than any other, his answer came without hesitation.
During an interview with BBC Radio 1, Villeneuve said that the movie he returns to again and again is Apocalypse Now. He explained that he did not just watch the film for fun. He studied it closely and lived with it for years. According to him, it is close to perfection. He believes the movie captures the insanity of war through powerful images and an intense mood that never lets go.
For Villeneuve, Apocalypse Now works because it blends beauty and horror at the same time. He finds it inspiring because it dares to go deep into madness without holding the audience’s hand. That balance is something he clearly aims for in his own work, especially in large-scale films like Dune.
Even with his serious taste, Villeneuve is not only drawn to heavy dramas. In the same BBC Radio 1 conversation, he admitted that he also loves James Bond movies. He said that when life feels heavy, watching Bond always lifts his mood.
He has a soft spot for the Daniel Craig era and named Casino Royale and Skyfall as personal favorites. He shared that he rewatched those films during difficult moments in his life because they brought comfort.
Today, Villeneuve is riding one of the strongest periods of his career. After the success of the first two Dune films, he spent much of late 2025 filming the final chapter, Dune Part Three. Timothée Chalamet has confirmed that filming is complete and the movie is now deep into editing ahead of its December 18 release.
The new film adapts Dune Messiah and brings back familiar faces like Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Rebecca Ferguson. Robert Pattinson has also joined the cast and is rumored to play a major villain.
Even as he finishes one of the biggest sci-fi trilogies ever made, Villeneuve still talks about movies like a fan first. And judging by how often he returns to Apocalypse Now, some films never stop teaching him new lessons.
What do you think is the closest film to perfection? Let us know in the comments.
