Arrival Poster

Arrival (2016)

PG-13 11/10/2016 Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery 1h 56m
76%
User
Score
7.9/10
94%
81/100

Why are they here?

Overview

Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.

Denis Villeneuve

Director

Eric Heisserer

Screenplay

Top Billed Cast

Amy Adams

Amy Adams

Louise Banks

Jeremy Renner

Jeremy Renner

Ian Donnelly

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker

Colonel Weber

Michael Stuhlbarg

Michael Stuhlbarg

Agent Halpern

Mark O'Brien

Mark O'Brien

Captain Marks

Tzi Ma

Tzi Ma

General Shang

Abigail Pniowsky

Abigail Pniowsky

8-Year-Old Hannah

Julia Scarlett Dan

Julia Scarlett Dan

12-Year-Old Hannah

Jadyn Malone

Jadyn Malone

6-Year-Old Hannah

Media

Dr. Banks Decodes Heptapod Language - Full Scene

Dr. Banks Decodes Heptapod Language - Full Scene

First Contact with Aliens - Full Scene

First Contact with Aliens - Full Scene

Denis Villeneuve on ARRIVAL | TIFF 2021

Denis Villeneuve on ARRIVAL | TIFF 2021

Denis Villeneuve on the sets for his film ARRIVAL

Denis Villeneuve on the sets for his film ARRIVAL

Emma Roberts announces ARRIVAL for AFI Movie Club

Emma Roberts announces ARRIVAL for AFI Movie Club

Arrival (2016)- "Amy Adams" Featurette- Paramount Pictures

Arrival (2016)- "Amy Adams" Featurette- Paramount Pictures

Arrival (2016) - "Eric Heisserer" featurette- Paramount Pictures

Arrival (2016) - "Eric Heisserer" featurette- Paramount Pictures

Arrival (2016) - "Bradford Young" - Paramount Pictures

Arrival (2016) - "Bradford Young" - Paramount Pictures

"Human" Clip

"Human" Clip

"The Story of Arrival" Featurette

"The Story of Arrival" Featurette

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Reviews

A review by Smashing UK Productions

Written on December 3, 2016

Prior to approaching this film, a word of warning that it is what many like to call a "thinking person's sci-fi". If you're going to watch this, I beg that you dedicate your utmost attention to it, as it is truly one rewarding experiences, one of the smartest, most well-constructed science fiction marvels of recent years. 'Arrival' is Villeneuve's magnum opus.

Firstly, to put your mind at ease, I won't be analysing the plot, thus avoiding the use of spoilers. This decade, Villeneuve has crafted some fantastic works of art in the form of 'Prisoners', 'Sicario' and now this science fiction gem, and here's hoping his career further develops with more movie masterpieces coming our way. In a world where mysteries remain and the possibility of extraterrestrial life still stands unanswered, 'A...

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A review by Gimly

Written on December 5, 2016

Denis Villenueve offers a great film, but one that is exactly what the trailer put forth, this is not a Sci-Fi War film waiting to happen, or a modern-day horror. It's a character-driven piece about politics, life, humanity and communication.

_Final rating:★★★½ - I strongly recommend you make the time._...

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A review by Reno

Written on February 26, 2017

**It was a perfect contact, but troubled at the communication.**

The film was decent. Nowadays there are lots of altered versions coming that you won't easily say those are the remakes or reboots or spin- offs or whatever they call them in these days. Like 'Premotheus' to 'Alien', this film can remind you a few titles from the past, but 'Contact' is what the majority of us believes it got inspired.

The eight Oscars nominees for the film is insane. I know some people liked it, and the film was good, that does not mean it is an Oscar product. I'm okay with the technical side recognition as it deserved that. So visually it was very good, but not a special effects extravaganza. Just a simple sci-fi drama, with a few thrills, particularly towards the end.

When the unexpected visitors f...

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A review by tmdb47633491

Written on April 7, 2018

"I have a brilliant idea for a movie so what we do is we watch scientists step-by-step learn to communicate with an alien species"

"That's awesome but we need an emotional component or audiences will be bored"

"Okay the main scientist's daughter is dead and we show clips of that every couple minutes"

"Greenlight"...

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A review by BadChristian

Written on November 19, 2018

Arrival is an attempt to take a more realistic approach to how an alien visitation would play out, especially within global politics. The main thrust is that Amy Adams has to find out what the aliens want before any other country can fuck it up and they did a great job in casting Amy Adams. I'm not usually any more than indifferent of Adams, but she does a great job here with what she's given. Jeremy Renner does as good as Jeremy Renner can do with a character that isn't just stoic bad-ass. I like Renner, but unlike other alien films, Arrival isn't an "alien invasion" movie where he can run around shooting stuff and making quips, so I'm not sure he was the best choice. The only other actor of note is Forrest Whitaker, who does fine, but he has this stupid accent that has no purpose. I had ...

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A review by Matthew Brady

Written on January 27, 2020

Well damn.

I couldn't stop thinking about this one and may not for awhile. "Arrival" is one of the best Sci-Fi films I've seen in this year. Everything about this film was just top notch that I can't put into words without going all over.

So let put it like this:

Amy Adams was wonderful in this. A very grounded and real performance. Probably her best. Same thing that can said about Jeremy Renner.

And how the aliens were part of the story was fascinating and quite clever. Without spoiling anything, they had a unique look to them. Like spiders. Although out the film, you feel their presence. A presence that's both scary and yet remarkable.

Denis Villeneuve is my favorite working director. He can release a movie every year and still be close of making a masterpiece. Villeneuve ...

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A review by 20thCentury

Written on July 14, 2020

Arrival has created the most profound and seamless symbolism, notably through cinematography/imagery, that may have ever been achieved to date in film.

On the surface, this appears to be a story about humans making contact with an alien species. For those with keen critical thinking skills, the seemingly foreign creatures at the beginning are not who we initially believed them to be by the end. This film amazingly weaves an abundance of profound images/clues in plain sight. Just like one of those optical illusions, which can at first appear a random assortment of dots. Yet, once your focus kicks in and you seize upon a detailed shape, you suddenly see an enormously complex picture that has been there the whole time, seemingly invisible just prior.

As I watched this film, I was curio...

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A review by Penguinatic

Written on August 12, 2021

This may be my new favourite film. I was so emotionally involved in this film, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit a few tears were shed towards the end....

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A review by Filipe Manuel Neto

Written on October 25, 2022

**An excellent film, where the main theme is not what it seems.**

In general, I'm not a big fan of movies involving aliens... in part because they seem extremely unlikely to me (I don't really believe there is another planet with intelligent and skilled living beings like humans, or at least not developed enough to see us visit). However, I really enjoyed this film, which takes advantage of the visit of twelve spaceships from other worlds to make us question the way we view the passage of time and its linear nature. Critically acclaimed, the film received mixed reviews from audiences, with a number of detractors and admirers alike. I personally think the film is good enough to deserve our attention and respect.

To understand the script, it is necessary to bear in mind that the main t...

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A review by Andre Gonzales

Written on June 3, 2023

ok movie really boring at times. it was only interesting to the space craft and the aliens. other then that it was pretty dumb. working together and love is something the planet will never understand. well at least our leaders wont any way....

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A review by sirdorius

Written on November 5, 2023

I loved the visuals in this, and Amy does a great job of carrying the cast. I am able to suspend my disbelief for 120 minutes when watching sci fi, so I will avoid the useless "but that's not what the military would do" comments.

The movie has a great setup talking about language, culture, our perception of the world and how truly -alien- an alien life form would feel to us.

Unfortunately, it uses that setup to deliver a platitude older than written language and then just throws away any conclusion to its sci fi story that we though was the main focus up until that point.

Yes, I know cancer is sad and all that from real life, now can we please know what happened to the aliens?? Did they get bored and leave when they saw the ending?...

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A review by CinemaSerf

Written on June 20, 2024

Accomplished linguist "Louise" (Amy Adams) is drafted in by the US military to join an international team of scientists charged with trying to communicate with twelve spacecraft that have landed across the globe. Upon her arrival she encounters "Donnelly" (Jeremy Renner) and the pair work on finding a way to talk with "Abbott" and "Costello". These latter two are aliens who seem just as keen to chat back, but finding common terms of reference is nigh on impossible. As they find innovative ways to make progress, we discover a little of her traumatic past and it seems her association with the visitors is heightening her senses and inspiring her imagination. With the global alliance straining and the domestic military champing at the bit, it falls to the couple to avert disaster. It has somet...

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