Synopsis
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.
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Cast
- Amy AdamsDr. Louise Banks
- Jeremy RennerIan Donnelly
- Forest WhitakerColonel G. T. Weber
- Michael StuhlbargAgent Halpern
- Tzi MaGeneral Shang
- Mark O'BrienCaptain Marks
- Julia Scarlett DanHannah (12 yrs. old)
- Abigail PniowskyHannah (8 yrs. old)
- Jadyn MaloneHannah (6 yrs. old)
- Carmela Nozza GuizzoHannah (4 yrs. old)
Recommendations
- 100
The Telegraph
This is riveting, dizzying stuff from Villeneuve. - 91
The Playlist
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. - 90
The Hollywood Reporter
Anchored by an internalized performance from Amy Adams rich in emotional depth, this is a grownup sci-fi drama that sustains fear and tension while striking affecting chords on love and loss. - 80
The Guardian
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. - 80
Screen Daily
Arrivals becomes an unexpectedly moving rumination on life’s bigger questions by its end. While it looks to other worlds, its main pleasure turns out to be the most intimate of questions. - 80
CineVue
Despite some imperfections, Arrival is a close encounter with the best of intelligent, thoughtful science fiction. - 75
TheWrap
It’s not impossible to give audiences both a puzzle-box narrative and an exploration of life choices and what it means to be human, but the balance just doesn’t play here. - 70
Variety
Adams draws on her gift for making each and every moment quiver with discovery. The actress is alive to what’s around her, even when it’s just ordinary, and when it’s extraordinary the inner fervor she communicates is quietly transporting.
