Arrival (2016)

Arrival (2016) is a thoughtful, slow-burning sci-fi drama centered on Dr. Louise Banks, a linguist recruited by the U.S. military (Amy Adams) to communicate with mysterious alien craft that have appeared at twelve sites around the world. Set against rising international tension and the threat of conflict, Louise and a physicist colleague (Jeremy Renner) work inside one of the ships to decode the aliens’ circular written language and discover why they’ve come. As the investigation progresses the film shifts from first-contact suspense to a quietly intense meditation on language, memory, and the nature of time — a revelation that changes how Louise sees her past and future. Viewers can expect a visually striking, atmospheric film with measured pacing, strong performances, and a haunting score; it blends intellectual puzzles about communication and determinism with an emotional core about loss and choice. The experience is eerie and elegiac rather than action-driven: moments of awe and tension alternate with intimate, thought-provoking scenes that linger after the credits. If you like cerebral science fiction that prioritizes ideas and feeling over spectacle, Arrival delivers a gripping, beautifully made story that will make you rethink how language shapes reality.

Actors: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Runtime: 116 min

Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi

5.8 /10 81 /100 7.9 /10 7.3 /10