Arrival is a unique change of pace for the Science Fiction genre. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the constant tension throughout the movie was beautifully drawn out by Villeneuve who’s proven in the past that he can perfect slow burning tension with his previous movies, Sicario, Prisoners and Enemy.

Starring Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker and Jeremy Renner, this movie is based on a Ted Short short story, “The Story of Your Life.” This movie follows the story of  Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams), a linguist recruited by Army Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker), who along with Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) must solve the mystery behind the “heptapod” spaceships appearing across Earth.

Amy Adams as Louise Banks is purely incredible yet again. She delivers a powerful and compelling performance that will surely gain her another Oscar Nomination. Jeremey Renner and Forest Whitaker are also great and compliment Adams’ character well. This movie doesn’t have a huge cast, the plot mainly focuses on Adams, Renner and their interactions with the Aliens. The Aliens in this movie are extremely well done and are left to be very ominous. I really applaud Villeneuve for making the decision to not fully expose the aliens and keep them allusive.

https://youtu.be/aTNJtEXYsyw

This movie asks a lot of big questions and manages to tie them all up with the answers perfectly by the end of the film. This movie is no way at all fast paced it takes it’s time build the story up and executes it perfectly.

In terms of cinematography,  Arrival is nothing short of a masterpiece. The first shot of the Heptapod with the fog rolling is beautifully done. One really intriguing factor of the cinematography that I noticed is how the film seemed to have a grayish tint when in present tense but when showing flashbacks the shots were vibrant and exuberant. The score by Johan Johansson mirrors the tone of the filming; it is euphoric and caters to each scene, building tension in an already heavy film.

Diving into a deeper subject, within the film is the language the Aliens use to communicate with Banks and Donnelly. The language they created for this movie was unique and unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. I read an article online that says that they consulted with real linguist and scientific experts on the matter to ensure that everything about the Heptapods were as realistic as possible. The extensive research and preparation is evident and appreciated.

Overall I have to say Arrival left me absolutely speechless. When I saw this movie on the premier night my friend and I  walked out of the theater saying nothing but “What?!”. Our minds were blown. Arrival is one of the best Science Fiction and one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Everything about this movie had me on the edge of my seat and absolutely reeling with pure joy. Everything from the music, acting, cinematography, to the masterclass directing from Villeneuve had everything a movie buff like me could hope for. I really recommend everyone to watch this movie even if they are not a huge science fiction fan especially for the big messages this movie leaves with it.