Review of Arrival (2016) by Nate G — 19 Jul 2018

This movie made me sign up for an account because it is a work of genius that needs even more praise. This is the rare sort of film that leaves me despondent because other films of its type and caliber simply do not exist.

For those who haven't seen it: STOP READING ABOUT IT. GO INTO THIS MOVIE BLIND. Do not read spoiler-laden reviews. Do not read anything about it. Avoid trailers. If you go this movie knowing anything other than its basic premise (Aliens have landed, we try to figure out what to do), you WILL regret it.

This is perhaps the best sci-fi movie I've ever seen. It transcends the genre, over its storyline, evolving into something much greater than what its title, box art, posters, trailers, or any marketing materials could possibly convey. Its storyline starts out a tense first-contact-with-aliens affair, but unravels into something intricate, challenging, delicate, and utterly emotionally and intellectually compelling.

Simply put: Every aspect of this movie is impeccable. As a whole composition, Villeneuve has achieved near-perfection.

I could fawn over this story's plotline forever, but it's too special to reveal much through analysis. Trust me: It's genius. It's the movie I've basically always wanted, executed brilliantly.

The two obvious stars here are Amy Adams's performance and Denis Villeneuve's direction. Adams's performance has been much-lauded, but Villeneuve's direction cannot garner enough praise.

Direction is obviously outstanding. Scenes are expertly crafted to give the audience the best-possible perspective coming from the viewpoint of the central protagonist: Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams, who got robbed of her Oscar for this performance). This is so crucial: Scenes which are disorienting for Dr. Banks are disorienting on-screen; we feel the chaos surrounding; we feel her intimate confusion. Not only does this make us empathize with her character, but, in the movie, she is an expert linguist and brilliant person. This makes us, the audience, feel intelligent. For such an intelligent film, it's a real treat.

Pacing is excellent. It starts out slow and tense, but absolutely never boring. It ramps up precisely before it needs to, steadily building up to a crescendo that's so magnificent, detailing it in praise would be close to spoiling it.

The film's bleak and minimalistic aesthetic is outstanding, with sparse set pieces and dark, muted, earthy color tones both complimenting and focusing on the aliens and their spacecraft-a work of sci-fi minimalistic perfection. It's the glorious antithesis of oversaturated Michale Bay schlock (in almost every regard, really.).

The sound design, too, is brilliant. It's subtle, but captivating. Jóhann Jóhannsson's musical score perfectly compliments the aesthetic and narrative. It serves as neither background noise nor show-stealer. The non-musical sound design, however, is often breathtaking. It is brought into and out of focus with surgical precision, maintaining sublime quality throughous. But when it's in the spotlight, it elevates this movie, becoming one of the defining traits that make this one of the greatest sci-fi films ever.

My only minor complaint is backhanded praise: that this film deserves to be longer. It could easily work with an extra 30 minutes instead of having less than 2 hours of runtime. I'm loathe to imagine what might have been cut by studio executives, but relish the idea of a Director's Extended Cut.

When I think about other minor complaints ("this one scene, that other scene, was this a plot hole or sloppy writing?") that popped into my head at one point or another, after digesting the film, in retrospect, every single one made sense. No other science-fiction film has required me to suspend my disbelief so little.

This film is nearly perfect. And I only say that to hedge my bet, because no imperfections come to mind. This film was a revelation. It was transcendental, monumental, and hopefully genre-defining.

The awesome plotline, pacing, aesthetic, sound design, and acting (especially by Adams) are all precisely put together by Villeneuve to craft a cinematic art piece that is both immensely intellectually and emotionally compelling. It is a masterpiece, easily one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time.