Dune: Part Two opens with a chilling shot of a pile of bodies engulfed in flames, as Harkonnen warriors throw more Atreides corpses into mass graves. The once-glorious House Atreides, a victim of the Harkonnens’ ruthless political ambitions, is rendered to ash.

But as the events of Dune: Part Two unfold, it’s clear this image isn’t just a depiction of the tragedy of tyranny, but a cautionary tale warning against the dangerous allure of charismatic leaders… and the fallacy of the white savior. At least, that was Denis Villeneuve’s interpretation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel, and it’s a reading he wants audiences to emphatically understand.

“When Frank Herbert wrote Dune, when the book came out, I think he was disappointed,” Villeneuve tells Inverse. “There was something about the fact that Paul was seen as a hero that he didn’t like.”

Every few years, Adam Sandler emerges from the haze of man-child comedies to prove that he is actually an incredibly talented dramatic actor. For every Big Daddy, there was Punch-Drunk Love, for every Grown Ups, there was The Meyerowitz Stories. But since 2019’s Uncut Gems gave Sandler his closest brush with Oscar love, the actor seems to have gained a renewed interest in stretching his dramatic chops.

Following his turn as a down-on-his-luck NBA scout in 2022’s Hustle, Sandler delivers his most somber and emotionally resonant performance yet in Spaceman, an eerie, moody chamber piece whose success rests squarely on the actor’s hunched shoulders. As a performance vehicle for Sandler, Spaceman is terrific. As a profound, thought-provoking exploration of loneliness, love, and the unbearable weight of existence, it’s a little less successful.