Despite solid blockbusters like No Time To Die and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings finally releasing, the general population has still been sluggish at returning to theaters. Hey, I get it! We’re all like sleepy bears waking up from social hibernation, and it’s super cozy in our home dens. There’s also an unprecedented number of new films releasing on streaming the same day they reach theaters. While that might be a great idea for light comedies such as Free Guy, big budget films with stories as epic as their visuals deserve to be experienced in a theater. If you’re on the fence or just haven’t had time yet, here are 5 reasons you should still experience Dune while it’s still in theaters.

Book Not Required
“Do I need to read the book to know what’s going on?” is a common question from those thinking about watching Dune. That’s understandable, because reading a 400+ page science fiction novel from 1965 isn’t at the top of most people’s priorities. I’ll probably read it at some point, but there just hasn’t been time with my schedule. Well, the good news is the film is completely accessible for anyone, whether or not you’ve even watched one of those trendy “10 Things You Should Know About Dune Before Seeing” videos on YouTube. I went in as blind as I could with the story, and I was easily able to enjoy the characters and follow the plot without feeling lost. Do I have any idea how spice makes interstellar travel possible? Nope, but the film told me it did, so that’s enough, and there’s always the novel or Wikipedia if I want to delve into the nerdy details.

Giant worms? Got it! [Credit: Warner Bros.]

It’s Gorgeous in IMAX
Look, it’s cool to watch movies with your surround sound and big screen TV in your sweet home theater, but nothing compares to watching an armada of enormous spacecraft fly over a stunning landscape on a 75-foot screen with IMAX speakers. It’s the defining way to experience a movie, especially a movie that focuses so much on visual spectacle. The advertisements for Dune effectively convinced people of its eye candy- in the opening weekend, a shocking 50% of the domestic box office revenues came from IMAX and other high-end options like Dolby. As one of those people, I can confirm that getting lost in a sea of visual details, striking sound effects, and a beautifully haunting soundtrack that could only be crafted by Hans Zimmer was well worth the IMAX ticket. Also, no one’s paying me to say this, but AMC’s A-List club has no upcharge for IMAX tickets, just sayin’.

Fashionable Lonely Kids have never looked better! [Credit: Warner Bros.]

Worldbuilding
Of course, all the visual spectacle in the world doesn’t make a good movie. For example, Michael Bay is also a vocal supporter of the IMAX format, but the lines and story of his Transformers movies make the Fast and Furious movies look like Shakespeare. Luckily, Dune also effortlessly builds a unique and detailed world, and fills it with interesting characters and conflicting groups. I wanted to spend more time exploring the planets of Arrakis and Caladan and learning more about the history of each political house, which was impressive considering I had just spent 2 and a half hours in that world. Between the extravagant costumes, locations, and factions, it’s easy to draw comparisons to the thoughtfully crafted cinematic world of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Dune is also a cool splice between fantasy (such as LOTR) and science-fiction that feels fresh, despite being dreamed up decades ago. Why wouldn’t you want to appreciate all the details on the giant screen?

“What If” Poe never became a pilot like he wanted? [Credit: Warner Bros.]

Jason Momoa
Reason Number Four to watch Dune is Jason Momoa. That’s it. Not only does he perfectly portray the kind of person who would still be named “Duncan Idaho” 10,000 years into the future, he also gets the coolest, grittiest fighting scenes. After seeing how Momoa takes a BA space bro and makes the character endearing and likeable, I realized just how much DC screenwriters have let him down with his ocean bro, Aquaman. The dude’s one of the brightest spots in the darker reality of Dune. Of course, Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, and Oscar Isaac all brought their A-game with fantastic performances as the heads of House Atreides, but I’d also watch a standalone spinoff of Duncan Idaho and his heart of gold in a second.

It’s like in Aquaman when they had a long random desert sequence, except good. [Credit: Warner Bros.]

Support More Movies Like This
Last but not least, remember a theater ticket is a vote of support! Thankfully, they’ve finally confirmed a Dune sequel is going to happen, which is good because there’s plenty more story to tell. But, supporting Dune’s theatrical run is still important, because we want studios to still take risks on expensive, unique movies that don’t come out of a franchise machine (I’ve obviously had fun with franchises too, but they’re just everywhere these days). If costly artistic gambles like Dune don’t pay off, mega corporations will play it safe and lazy, and that’s how we get more bland movies churned out like Eternals. So please, go watch Dune.

Watch Dune or I’ll have to use The Voice on you. [Credit: Warner Bros.]