If and when extraterrestrial beings make contact with humanity, how will Earth go about communicating with its newfound neighbors in space? “Arrival” explores one possible scenario in a truly stunning two-hour adventure through the mysteries of not only alien life, but also of communication itself.
The movie follows linguist Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) as she is recruited by the military along with physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) to communicate with alien beings — later known as heptapods — who have mysteriously landed at 12 locations around the globe. The two must race against time to interpret the aliens’ messages before hostile governments attack the ships, thereby starting a dangerous conflict.
The movie is compelling and brilliantly written from start to finish. In an opening sequence reminiscent of the movie “Up,” it shows Banks’ life with her daughter, who dies from a rare disease as a child. After these heart-wrenching first few minutes, the emotion of “Arrival” barely lets up.
The suspense keeps building, even when it seems as though the last conflicts have surely been resolved.
While the concepts involved in translating the alien language are quite complex — one of the central plot points involves a linguistic concept known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis — the movie manages to keep up the pace without leaving the audience confused by the academics behind it.
Adams shines in the lead role, playing Dr. Banks as a brilliant and determined scholar who will stop at nothing to understand the alien visitors. It’s refreshing to see such a well-rounded female character carrying a movie, instead of being relegated to a minor role. Renner does an excellent job alongside Adams, playing the highly logical, mathematics-oriented foil to the main character.
“Arrival” is a visual masterpiece as well. The entire movie has an ominous feeling, in part due to the unsettling appearance of the aliens and their spaceships. The alien vessels are shaped like ominous-looking skipping stones and look to be defying gravity, balanced on end above seemingly random locations. The alien language which Dr. Banks spends so long attempting to decode has an eerie beauty to it as well, not to mention the aliens themselves. The beings resemble hovering, seven-legged octopi and write in abstract loops and blots of ink from their tentacles.
In addition to the films’ visual strengths and impressive performances, “Arrival” also has a mind-bending plot and nuanced conflict. There is no massive battle against an invading alien force; instead, there is a conflict of attitudes toward the unknown. The world is forced to choose: Should they attempt to understand and appreciate the unknown or blow it to pieces in a preemptive strike? The plot transpires in completely unexpected ways and manages to shock and surprise until the very end, creating a recipe for success.
“Arrival” is a rare movie — simultaneously hugely entertaining and seriously thought-provoking. It will have viewers on the edge of their seats the entire time, with its plot twists on their minds days later. Though the film is about an alien civilization, its message about holding an open mind to the unknown or the misunderstood is just as relevant in the real world.
Read More
“The Show” sees Niall Horan delve into his most introspective self and his most confident sound
By Siona Pathak | July 2, 2023Ever since his days on X-Factor with former band One Direction, Niall Horan has been known for his wholesome charm and jovial attitude. While his charm and sunny disposition has come through in his solo ventures as well, Horan explores more moodier sentiments and nostalgic sounds through his most recent record, “The Show.”
‘who told you to think??!!?!?!’ reimagines rap as pure art
By Adam Beddawi | August 20, 2017“who told you to think??!!?!?!?!” is in many respects a continuation of milo’s previous artistic form on previous LP, “So The Flies Don’t Come."
‘Witness’ exemplifies a disastrous summer for female musicians
By Caroline Hockenbury | July 30, 2017Why does it seem that many of music’s leading ladies cannot adapt to today’s electronic craze?
