Arrival

I will help you choose if you want to watch this one or not. It's easy. If you like, for example Sixth Sense, you will love this one. If you prefer Independence Day, you will hate it.

I think it's a masterpiece. Period. I'm actually a bit shocked it's not closer to 9 and a top 20 all time movie. The script is so intelligent that it feels that you have watched 4 different movies in the end. It's a thrill ride for drama-, thriller-, action- and science fiction fans in one package.

I had to compose myself for 20 minutes before leaving the theatre and it took me and my wife about 3 hours and 3 glasses of wine to talk about it afterwards.

I watched this recently again and going a second time around, I appreciated the depth in this film. Arrival probes profound questions about time, language, and human behavior. The cinematography here was also excellent.

Arrival is a sci-fi masterpiece. The acting is tonally perfect. The script is very well written and manages to make the complicated sci-fi lingo seem plausible. Denis Villeneuve directs this film with a gripping realism. The score is haunting and otherworldly at the same time, perfect for the subject matter. The story utilizes the concept of time brilliantly, almost like it's another character.

This is a sci-fi drama. It's not an action film. It's an intimate study that shy's away from big theatrics, instead opting for a philosophical discussion that challenges the viewer. The twist is beautiful and heartbreaking. I love that this film makes you think, it's what great sci-fi is suppose to do.

Watch this.

This is a very, very well made film, which is thought provoking, measured, engaging, and thoroughly well made.

There is nothing brash, or heavy handed about it, the story is superbly told, with well grounded characters. The story is of course sci fi, and hugely creative, but it's never silly, it is incredibly intelligent.

Awesome special effects, I loved the design of the alien race, and their language, quite incredible.

A story of hope, which I loved. 9/10

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 experience, 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, 'Arrival' approaches this with it's cliché-free take on the genre.

The relatively unknown Bradford Young provides the film with some of the most stunning cinematography ever conceived, taking advantage of the twilight hour to give the film its somewhat unique look, supported magnificently by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson whose score is both haunting and beautiful. If you're someone looking for a science-fiction tale that keeps you guessing and thinking throughout, with fantastic performances, cinematography, music and near-flawless direction, then 'Arrival' is the film for you. The masterpiece of 2016!