The Sci-Fi Movie That Left Us Speechless Is So Good, You Need To Watch It Twice

Some of the best sci-fi movies give audiences something to savor with each rewatch, but Arrival goes one step further, since it’s practically impossible to watch just once. Arrival represented a major turning point in Denis Villeneuve’s career, because it was his first sci-fi movie. He’s gone on to become one of the genre’s great luminaries, with Blade Runner 2049 and his two Dune movies.

Arrival is based on Ted Chiang’s Story of Your Life, a novella that explores some interesting theories in linguistics. Despite the story’s literary roots, Eric Heisserer’s script translates Chiang’s themes to the screen perfectly. Amy Adams stars as a linguist tasked with deciphering the language of a species of aliens who mysteriously appear at various sites all over the world.

Why Arrival Left Us Speechless (Especially The Ending)

Arrival’s Ending Hits Hard

Arrival delivered immediate proof that Villeneuve had a natural flair for sci-fi. From the towering, enigmatic spacecraft to the vaguely insectoid aliens, Villeneuve demonstrates an innate sense of spectacle and scale that elicits wonder at every turn. He’s built on this idea in his more recent movies, like with Dune‘s portrayal of enormous sand worms thrumming beneath the desert.

While Arrival‘s broad strokes are breathtaking, Villeneuve ensures that his film also works at ground level. Thanks in part to an outstanding central performance from Adams, Arrival never loses the human element of the story in its cerebral discussions of linguistic theory and geopolitics. The characters are at the heart of the drama, and Villeneuve gives them plenty of room.

It’s hard to talk about Arrival without talking about its hammer-blow ending. Arrival‘s tangled non-linear timeline constantly throws up surprises, and the execution of the final twist is masterfully done, with both Heisserer and Villeneuve showing a light touch that allows the audience the joy of putting the pieces together.

You Can’t Just Watch Arrival One Time

Each Rewatch Reveals More Detail

Arrival Heptapods

Arrival‘s genius twist is the kind that makes audiences want to immediately watch it again, since it casts vital parts of the story in a new light. Suddenly, Louise’s emotional ghosts become even more tragic, although her grief also takes on a new level of complexity due to her complicity in events.

It’s interesting to go back and see how Arrival drops little breadcrumbs for the audience to figure things out, and how it weaponizes the audience’s expectations to create something unforgettable. Not only does it hold up under intense scrutiny, but it reveals more elements to admire and more intricate, thoughtful details worth picking up.

Arrival‘s ending resolves some of the great mysteries that color the narrative, but there are still questions left unanswered. The exact nature, origin and desires of the aliens in Arrival remain open to speculation. Fittingly, the best way to explore these threads is to step back and take a holistic view of Arrival, from start to finish.

Related Posts

Michelle Yeoh Movie With 98% RT Score Is The Top-Ranked Martial Arts Film Of The 21st Century

Michelle Yeoh Movie With 98% RT Score Is The Top-Ranked Martial Arts Film Of The 21st Century

Michelle Yeoh leads an Oscar-winning kung-fu movie that has recently been named the genre’s best of the 21st century. Yeoh’s movie career began with her amazing roles…

10 Ways Dora’s New Movie Is Totally Different From The Animated Show

10 Ways Dora’s New Movie Is Totally Different From The Animated Show

There are quite a few differences between the new live-action movie Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado and the original animated Dora the Explorer series. Sol…

Old Guard 2’s Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score Breaks Charlize Theron’s 7-Year Streak

Old Guard 2’s Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score Breaks Charlize Theron’s 7-Year Streak

The Old Guard 2‘s Popcornmeter score has arrived on Rotten Tomatoes, and the film breaks a seven-year streak for star Charlize Theron. Directed by Victoria Mahoney, the…

Dylan O’Brien Couldn’t Believe He “Was Even Given A Chance” To Be Part Of River Gallo’s Ponyboi

Dylan O’Brien Couldn’t Believe He “Was Even Given A Chance” To Be Part Of River Gallo’s Ponyboi

After making waves in the independent film festival circuit last year, the crime drama Ponyboi finally received a limited theatrical run with a home release quickly following…

Jurᴀssic World Rebirth Has Critics & Audiences Divided On Rotten Tomatoes

Jurᴀssic World Rebirth Has Critics & Audiences Divided On Rotten Tomatoes

Jurᴀssic World Rebirth has critics and audiences divided on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One), with a script by the franchise’s original writer David…

Both Han Solo Actors Joined Another Sci-Fi Franchise This Year

Both Han Solo Actors Joined Another Sci-Fi Franchise This Year

Both actors known for portraying Han Solo have joined another sci-fi franchise that is not Star Wars, coincidentally, in the same year. Han Solo is one of…