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Arrival

Play trailer 1:00 Poster for Arrival PG-13 Released Nov 11, 2016 1h 56m Sci-Fi Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 442 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.
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Arrival

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Critics Consensus

Arrival delivers a must-see experience for fans of thinking person's sci-fi that anchors its heady themes with genuinely affecting emotion and a terrific performance from Amy Adams.

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Critics Reviews

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas The Blue Lenses Arrival transcends the limitations that so often govern the less creative examples of the subgenre, instead using it as a loose conceptual foundation upon which to build a theoretically-informed examination of what precisely ... makes us human. Aug 25, 2018 Full Review Kristen Lopez Culturess Arrival couldn't have arrived (pun intended) at a better time. Nov 20, 2017 Full Review K. Austin Collins The Ringer I think of Arrival in terms of color: the milky grays of the clouds rolling over the Montana plain; the bright blue of computer screens bouncing off the gray tents on the makeshift army compound. Aug 10, 2017 Full Review JD Duran InSession Film The film works as a powerful allegory for how we try to decode and interpret the tragedies of our lives. Aug 8, 2024 Full Review Ankit Ojha Cinema Elite Without spoiling too much, let’s just say Villeneuve and Heisserer use the Kuleshov effect to turn the non-linear storytelling of “Arrival” from a gimmick to an indispensable part of the film. Rated: 4.5/5 Jul 9, 2024 Full Review Anthony McGlynn Vague Visages Arrival is a work that resents the necessity of violence. However, the film ditches some of the meditative qualities of the bleakness-to-idealism dialectic of the album in favor of making a cold hard stand against war and those who clamour for it. Feb 6, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jonathan F Extremely short-paced, felt like most of the movie was empty without a real driving story. I would have hoped for more action. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/22 Full Review Katie D An amazing film! very well-done, thought-provoking, entertaining and unpredictable. my only complaint is about the loud horn blasts that accompany so many science fiction movie scenes - unnecessary, unrealistic and distracting! other than that it was awesome! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/15/21 Full Review Francisco Javier J The real meaning of life and decisions hidden in a Sci Fi movie, brilliant. It changed my life and my way of thinking, every moment, no matter what, is precious. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/13/25 Full Review J K "Arrival" is a thought-provoking and visually stunning sci-fi film that offers a refreshing take on first-contact narratives. The storytelling is immersive, and the film’s unique approach to language and communication adds depth to the narrative. While some plot elements felt a bit ambiguous or open to interpretation, the overall execution was compelling. The film balances emotional weight with intellectual intrigue, making it an engaging and memorable watch. A solid, well-crafted film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/01/25 Full Review Lord V As with all of Denis Villeneuve’s films the cinematography is incredible, and the plot twist at the end of the movie was amazing! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/01/25 Full Review Tilman G Arrival offers an intriguing and refreshing approach to the alien genre by focusing on communication and time as central themes. The idea is exciting and innovative, but the execution falls short of expectations. The movie tends to get too cheesy and pretentious, especially in the emotional moments, which are often too tear-jerking. Despite these weaknesses, Arrival offers interesting philosophical questions and visually impressive scenes, but remains a little too Hollywood-heavy to really go deep. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Arrival

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Movie Info

Synopsis Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.
Director
Denis Villeneuve
Producer
Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Aaron Ryder, David Linde
Screenwriter
Eric Heisserer
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
21 Laps Entertainment, FilmNation, Lava Bear Films
Rating
PG-13 (Brief Strong Language)
Genre
Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 11, 2016, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jan 27, 2017
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 31, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$100.5M
Runtime
1h 56m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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