A thought-provoking, kinder first contact film

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2016)

Reading through some of the other reviews, it's apparent that many people don't understand what science sci-fi is; this movie was, to me, quintessential science fiction. If you're expecting a movie that doesn't make you think too hard while entertaining you with lots of mind-bending special effects and action this isn't the film for you. On the other hand, if you enjoyed movies like Contact, A.I., Gatica, Ex Machina, Interstellar, or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, then you're likely to enjoy this film too.
Another reviewer, 'Bikesloth', summed the movie up well: "The point of this movie is NOT ABOUT ALIENS, it's about soul searching and reaffirming that it's the quality of life over the quantity of time that we humans spend here." This movie uses the arrival of alien beings and the question of their purpose only as a vehicle to explore the much more personal question of whether we'd chose to live our life the same way if we knew in advance how it would end. Good sci-fi should make us think, both with our heads and our hearts, and 'Arrival' succeeds at both.