Weighted from an 8.0 average · Why?
A cerebral, thought-provoking sci-fi carried by a strong Amy Adams performance.
Verdict tier Recommended, most critics liked it, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
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Critic consensus
Arrival received an overwhelmingly positive critical reception, with most reviewers praising its cerebral, thought-provoking approach to science fiction and its willingness to challenge conventional alien-contact narratives. Amy Adams' performance drew specific commendation across multiple reviews, while the film's intelligent storytelling, nuanced detail, and shocking yet moving finale were widely highlighted. Rashid Irani called it 'ambitious, cerebral and profound,' and several critics noted its ability to sustain complete audience engagement throughout. The sole dissenting voice came from Shalini Langer, who felt the film failed to fully develop its own central observation about communication.
3 not-rated reviews aren't plotted
The Monk Score is weighted from a plain average of 8.0 · how scores work
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 10 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyFrom the papers
Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
Clocking in at just under two hours, Arrival is that rare film that you don't want to miss even a moment of. You literally don't want to blink or look at your phone in the fear of missing out something small, something important. It's an intelligent film and that's not a bad thing. Don't read anything more about it. The joy of discovery is beyond everything else.
Top critic
Film review ·
Arrival's most acute observation is how common language isn't the only key to keep communication going, but the film appears to not notice it.
Top critic
Film review ·
The first thing you'll notice, of course, is how smart the film is. Unlike in movies like this year's terrible Independence Day Resurgence there is a very real depiction of how the world would react if aliens did show up at our doorstep. It's also nice to see characters that don't make stupid decisions when things don't go according to plan.
Film review ·
Ambitious, cerebral and profound, Arrival is a one-of- a-kind big-screen experience. The pulsating background music score by the Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson adds immensely to it, and the finale will leave you gasping in awe.
Film review ·
'Arrival' makes you ponder the implications of time, love, life, and death, and the co-relation between communication and the human experience long after the credits roll, making it one of the unmissable films to watch this year.
Film review ·
Amy Adams delivers a stellar performance with unspeakable grace and gravitas. This is a science fiction film that goes beyond extra-terrestrial conquests. It remains grounded on Earth and asks questions not only about humanity's relation with itself, but also about humanity's relation with the universe.
Film review ·
Arrival is an engaging experience. While the plot might raise many logical questions, it never lets its focus be diverted from the questions it wants you to ask. If not for anything else, this film is a must-watch at least for Amy Adams' terrific performance.
Film review ·
While the world stays busy over what's better - DC or Marvel - and people cannot get more of the umpteenth Harry Potter or Jack Sparrow movie, Arrival, like Inception or Gravity, is the rare film that stands tall at the end of the year because of its sheer genius.
Film review ·
This is undoubtedly Adam's movie from start to finish, but if you're counting on the film being carried only by the acting, then you've got the wrong idea. The film is nuanced and detailed and goes above and beyond what other science-fiction films have done. It has a revelation at the end that is both shocking and moving.
Film review ·
For far too long, Hollywood blockbusters have waged war against the extra terrestrial, using it as the perfect excuse to unite a fragmented world. Arrival challenges that notion and asks us to look within.
From our readers
11 ratings · user score 7.9
Scripted by Eric Heisserer based on Story of Your Life, by short-fiction writer Ted Chiang, Arrival is more or less the anti-Independence Day.Arrival boldly snubs the standard alien- invasion vernacular of contemporary movies to explore a mood and language of its own. It may be a touch too subdued for the mainstream, but the movie has brains and originality. Adams gives her best performance as a lonely woman who has to make a decision that will haunt her – though perhaps in a good way – for the rest of her life. Although Arrival is about first contact with extraterrestrials, it says more about the human experience than the creatures from another world. This is a singularly powerful movie, without question one of 2016's best. I go with 4.5/ 5 for Denis Villenueve's another Directorial masterpiece.
excellent. Best : Direction , Acting , Sound design Weakness : Lacking details ( Some situations ) )
Credits
Amy AdamsDr. Louise Banks
Jeremy RennerIan Donnelly
Forest WhitakerColonel Weber
Michael StuhlbargAgent Halpern
Mark O'BrienCaptain Marks
Tzi MaGeneral Shang
Denis Villeneuve
Shawn Levy
Aaron Ryder
David Linde
Jóhann Jóhannsson
Bradford Young
Joe WalkerEnglish films like Arrival
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