An Affecting Tale of Humanity and Compassion

Rating: 10/10 (16 November 2016)

I've been looking forward to this film since I read Eric Heisserer's screenplay nearly four years ago, previously titled STORY OF YOUR LIFE and adapted from Ted Chiang's short story of the same name. It was the first time I ever cried while reading a script, so to say I was worried the film wouldn't surpass my highest expectations would be an understatement. As you can tell from my rating, I absolutely loved ARRIVAL. It's easily one of the best films of the year and one of the most affecting sci-fi films I've ever seen.
I've been a staunch supporter of Heisserer ever since I read his script, but back then, people only knew him for the A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET remake, THE THING prequel, and (the surprisingly good) FINAL DESTINATION 5. Since then, he's proved himself of being a capable writer with HOURS and this year's LIGHTS OUT. But it's with ARRIVAL that shows how skillful Heisserer really is, and I think it's time we finally give him the credit he deserves... I guess having Denis Villeneuve direct your script and Amy Adams deliver a powerhouse performance doesn't hurt either.
With that said, I went into the film viewing it on a level most others wouldn't have until their second viewing. Despite knowing where the story was headed, the film remained compelling and emotionally involving throughout its runtime, and I cried buckets by the end of it. ARRIVAL is a thoughtful, poignant, and heady piece of work. It respects the audience's intelligence to put the pieces together themselves and involves themes regarding humanity and compassion that's very relevant, especially in the past few days. Overall, Denis Villeneuve continues to deliver stellar work, Amy Adams' subtle but captivating performance will move you, and Eric Heisserer proves to the world everyone should be paying attention to him.