Arrival – Movie Review

Arrival – Synopsys

When 12 gigantic pod-like spacecraft land in 12 locations around the world, panic takes hold … ‘Arrival’. Linguistics professor Louise Banks (played by Amy Adams) is called in to lead a team of investigators. Everyone wants to find out what the aliens want and why they are here. The world is heading for global war, and Banks and her team race against time to decipher the language. They must find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors and ease tensions. Can she unravel the mystery of their reason for being here in time?

Review

The film starts with Amy Adams playing a lecturer, her life seems ordinary until she sees why her lecture hall is empty. All the students are watching as gigantic pods land on earth. She is quickly sought by the authorities who know that her skill in linguistics can help translate the alien language.

The visuals in Arrival are stunning, wide vistas with the pods centre stage. The visual effects are also quite surreal with everything from anti-gravity to amazing looking aliens. The storyline of Arrival will keep you transfixed to the screen. The story flips around quite a bit, so don’t go off for popcorn during the movie. It is actually adapted from a short story called ‘Story of your life’ by Ted Chiang. Arrival is a sci-fi film which does not fit the usual model of ‘aliens arrive, aliens attack, we win’. The plot is multifaceted and Amy Adams does a great job in the role, alongside Jeremy Renner. There are a few areas of the plot which have a few holes, especially around how the security on the site could be a lapse on a few occasions but overall Arrival is an outstanding film.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I would say that you will walk away from this film with an air of contentment. Content in the fact that you have witnessed a great film. I loved this film, much better than Nocturnal Animals which Amy Adams also stars in. I think this is a tip for Oscar nomination and also some success.

You will enjoy Arrival, and you should see it on as big a screen as you can!