3.5/5

Villeneuve is at his best when he creates sequences of surreal, atmospheric or shocking images. More than any other director alive he understands films ability to capture spectacle, and that is on full display here. For a movie that is about language and written communication, this creates tension throughout the film that I think is both intentional and powerful. The characters get to live in the world of text and description while we the audience get to absorb this film through image, backing tracks and conservative dialogue. This is equally as good as 2049 I think, and has a lot of similar beats in its twists and turns while not suffering from that film’s length.