United States/2016
Format Viewed For Review: FandangoNow
Netflix Streaming: No
Amazon Prime: No
"...an ominous but majestic science-fiction that will make you think."
A linguistic lecturer, a theoretical physicist, and several other experts attempt to decode an alien language after twelve spacecraft land around the world...
Arrival is a complex film, but it's worth watching. It's also a bit difficult to review without spoilers—but I'm going to try. The plot follows linguistic expert Louise Banks (Amy Adams). After twelve spacecraft land in seemingly random locations around the world, authorities race to discover their intentions, which means they must be able to accurately interpret their language. So, Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) enlists a group of specialists—which includes Banks and theoretical physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner)—to decode the language. This team frequently interacts with the alien species, known as 'heptapods,' while the world around them lives on the brink of chaos and all-out war. So, what do they want exactly? Well, like I said, it's a bit complex. Still, the climax is surprising, especially during your first time watching it unravel. The ending was also good. I felt like it could have been more effective, but I digress.