Arrival

Name: Arrival
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Released: November 11, 2016
Duration: 116 min
Rating: 81
Cast: Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker, Jeremy Renner, Michael Stuhlbarg

2016

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 52 Critics

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 1679 Ratings

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8.1	User Score Universal acclaim based on 1679 Ratings

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Arrival

Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: November 11, 2016

Starring: Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker, Jeremy Renner, Michael Stuhlbarg

Summary: When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team is put together to investigate – including language expert Louise Banks (Amy Adams). Mankind teeters on the verge of global war as everyone scrambles for answers – and to find them, Banks will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 116 min

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Awards & Rankings

47	#47 Best Movie of 2016
9	#9 Most Discussed Movie of 2016
23	#23 Most Shared Movie of 2016

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan

Nov 10, 2016

Arrival is really Adams' film, a showcase for her ability to quietly and effectively meld intelligence, empathy and reserve. Read full review

100

Empire - Dan Jolin

Nov 5, 2016

Arrival is a beautifully polished puzzle box of a story whose emotional and cerebral heft should enable it to withstand nit-picky scrutiny. And like all the best sci-fi, it has something pertinent to say about today’s world; particularly about the importance of communication, and how we need to transcend cultural divides and misconceptions if we’re to survive as a species. Read full review

The Playlist - Jessica Kiang

Sep 1, 2016

Arrival, the shimmering apex of Villeneuve’s run of form that started back in 2010 with “Incendies,” calmly, unfussily and with superb craft, thinks its way out of the black hole that tends to open up when ideas like time travel, alien contact and the next phase of human evolution are bandied about. Read full review

The Guardian - Peter Bradshaw

Sep 1, 2016

Arrival is a big, risky, showy movie which jumps up on its high-concept highwire and disdains a net. And yes, there are moments of silliness when it wobbles a little, but it provides you with spectacle and fervent romance. Read full review

Wall Street Journal - Joe Morgenstern

Nov 10, 2016

What’s remarkable about Arrival is its contemplative core—and, of course, Ms. Adams’s star performance, which is no less impassioned for being self-effacing. Read full review

The Film Stage - Rory O'Connor

Sep 1, 2016

Denis Villeneuve ponders the ramifications and possibilities of a potential first-contact between human beings and an advanced alien race and comes up with a sporadically incoherent film, but also some interesting ideas. Read full review

Observer - Rex Reed

Nov 9, 2016

"Enemy" and "Sicario" were unspeakable disasters, and Arrival, the director’s latest exercise in pretentious poopery, gives me every reason to believe I have parted company with Denis Villeneuve for good. Read full review

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User Reviews

PatrickSousa

Nov 11, 2016

Just like Villeneuve's other films, this one has proved that he is one of the greatest director nowadays. The way that he approaches a common theme in movies is almost revolutionary.

46 of 88 users found this helpful4642

marcmyworks

Dec 14, 2016

Its rare that I give a film a 10 review; saying this I found no faults whatsoever in Arrival. Amy Adams beautifully plays Dr. Louise Banks, a linguistics professor who is tasked in communicating with an American landed alien space craft. This film is beautifully directed, scored and actedIts rare that I give a film a 10 review; saying this I found no faults whatsoever in Arrival. Amy Adams beautifully plays Dr. Louise Banks, a linguistics professor who is tasked in communicating with an American landed alien space craft. This film is beautifully directed, scored and acted and is brought to life by its original and compelling script.… Expand

2 of 10 users found this helpful28

smodcast

Jan 22, 2017

Watch this! Watch this! Watch this!
It isn't the best science fiction movie you'll ever watch. But this has gut and heart and soul. This is Denis Villeneuve's best work. And yes, I watched Sicario. But this is.. Watch it.

5 of 15 users found this helpful510

StevieGJD

Nov 28, 2016

This is not an action movie. It is also not a movie for those who want to have the plot and the main points spoon fed to them. Amy Adams delivers another great performance. Jeremy Renner is fine, but his character is really a fairly thankless supporting role. The movie is likely over theThis is not an action movie. It is also not a movie for those who want to have the plot and the main points spoon fed to them. Amy Adams delivers another great performance. Jeremy Renner is fine, but his character is really a fairly thankless supporting role. The movie is likely over the heads of most people, as, at its core it is really a reinterpretation of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, which is a largely discredited linguistics theory. If you know this going in (and I seriously doubt the majority of people do), it takes the main critique of that theory and makes it inapplicable as it is not being used to explain differences in human cognition based on language, but whether differences in alien and human cognition are based, in part, on language. The other deeper issue explored is time. Humans' existence is special and temporal. For us, reality exists in linear time and we relate to the rest of the world in terms of three dimensional space. What if there was an alien species for which time and space are not perceived the way we perceive them? Again, these ideas are not simple and the movie does not successfully answer them. But the fact that it even brings them up is more intellectually stimulating than most films I've ever seen. Not that all movies need to be that intellectual. I like other movies for other reasons. But this is a smart movie that challenges viewers. Again, it is not for everyone. But I really liked it.… Expand

3 of 14 users found this helpful311

NotoriousFraud

Feb 19, 2017

Though it is much better than a majority of science fiction movies coming out. "Arrival" does not stack up to the directors previous works like "Sicario" and "Prisoners". The writing for the movie just does not have the punch i think it needed. However, looking at the writers previous work,Though it is much better than a majority of science fiction movies coming out. "Arrival" does not stack up to the directors previous works like "Sicario" and "Prisoners". The writing for the movie just does not have the punch i think it needed. However, looking at the writers previous work, i'm surprised the movie didn't turn out like absolute crap like the "Nightmare on Elm Street" remake or "Final Destination 5".… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

lennycliff123

Nov 11, 2016

As other have commented, Villeneuve is a good director but this is a step in the wrong direction for him. I hate to use the B word {boring}, but Arrival is a real endurance test even for fans of serious, thought provoking movies.

31 of 58 users found this helpful3127

maugeish

Dec 24, 2017

This movie was absolutely disappointing! There are almost no aliens and it''s just about talking problems...it''s a drama movie no scifi movie. No explanations or scientific facts, no suspense or thrilling storyline. Compared to other "new" scifi movies like moon, elysium, life etc. it''s aThis movie was absolutely disappointing! There are almost no aliens and it''s just about talking problems...it''s a drama movie no scifi movie. No explanations or scientific facts, no suspense or thrilling storyline. Compared to other "new" scifi movies like moon, elysium, life etc. it''s a huge disappointment with no story. Totaly overhyped for "talking about life" - perhaps a movie for students' club.… Expand

0 of 8 users found this helpful08

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