Not what you typically expect from an alien invasion movie.

Rating: 8/10 (16 December 2017)

I had to write this because I see a lot of people getting irritated at the movie and giving it one star ratings, because they saw a big space ship on the poster and thought this would be your generic alien x human flick. It's definitely not.
I'm not going to go into great detail about the entire structure of the movie, the shots were good, the sound track was very fitting, and the acting was superb. But the reason I write this is because, Arrival is the perfect example of a science fiction movie. The aliens exist not to bring lasers and incredible visual effects to the screen, but they are a vehicle by which to drive us toward greater musings. Traditional sci-fi movies used outlandish concepts to ask questions like "What does it mean to be human?" by exposing us to things that we have yet to experience as a species. Arrival uses the language of these aliens as a new tool to give us insight on similar concepts.
Let me be real frank. This isn't a movie about aliens, it's a movie about grief, shock, and coming to terms with uncontrollable situations. It's a beautifully written narrative which illustrates that we can not narrow in on specific moments and make them define us, but see how they shape us to be part of a greater image.
This is a movie for a patient, thoughtful audience and I would encourage anyone who thinks they fit that bill to watch it.