No Spoilers For This Great Sci-Fi Film

Rating: 10/10 (18 November 2016)

Adapted from a story by Ted Chiang, "Arrival" is an intelligent sci-fi adventure about a linguist (Amy Adams) and a physicist (Jeremy Renner) who are tasked with solving a puzzle of international import.
The story is really quite remarkable and its telling is even more remarkable, mostly because it's a story that would be extremely difficult to film with clarity. But screenwriter Eric Heisserer and director Denis Villeneuve have created an enthralling film of subtlety and power.
First there was "Close Encounters". "Arrival" picks up where "Close Encounters" leaves off. And like "Close Encounters", it possesses that magical feeling of anticipation and hope. It is thrilling to watch the mystery unfold (like reading Poe's "The Gold-Bug" as a child).
The music, by Johann Johannsson, strikes just the right chord as does the cinematography, with its claustrophobic intensity.
This is one of the best films of the year and a worthy addition to the canon of science fiction films.