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The formula for a blockbuster alien movie is quite a simple one: throw together a handsome hero, his gorgeous love interest, some stern looking US military officials, a hovering UFO full of slimy creatures bent on destroying planet Earth, and let the action play out. Guns blazing and with thousands of easily dismissed civilian casualties, the aliens are obliterated and the guy gets the girl. I walked into the recently released movie Arrival starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, fully expecting to relax and enjoy my popcorn as I watched this formula come to life yet again. Instead, I was delightfully surprised to witness this genre warped into something new, something that left my friend and I gaping at each other in silence as the credits rolled.
Arrival opens with short clips of a language expert, Louise (Adams), and her daughter in different stages of the girl’s childhood. The final clip depicts the teenage girl’s heart-wrenching death from cancer. We next see Louise sullenly going about her life alone as a professor, until the arrival of the title occurs. Twelve massive shell-shaped objects have appeared hovering eerily just above the surface around the world. Already having security clearance from previous projects, Louise is recruited by the government to go onboard what is confirmed to be an alien vessel and attempt to communicate with the creatures called heptapods. Among increasing international fears about the aliens intentions, the work of Louise and theoretical physicist Ian (Renner) comes under more and more pressure as they try to answer the critical question: why did the heptapods come to earth? Louise and Ian communicate with the heptapods. Quartz.com
With beautiful cinematography and performances by Adams and Renner, Arrival takes a completely new take on the overdone alien flick, and its unpredictability is guaranteed to take the audience’s breath away. While some introductory and closing material leaves the audience wanting more, the plot is surprisingly logical for sci-fi, and is reminiscent of one of my personal favorite films, Interstellar, without feeling unoriginal. Even if you dislike sci-fi, the emotional relationships between characters alone will hold your attention. I expect to see nominations for Arrival as we enter into awards season, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a high quality film that will stick with you long after the final scene. vox.com