This film divides the audience more than most

Rating: 2/10 (20 January 2017)

You will notice the reviews here are very divided - either you like it because it is so 'amazing' or you hate it because it is *not* a sci-fi movie as it was made out to be (as seen in the synopsis of IMDb). The so-called 'surprising end' that was mentioned by many reviewers was a downer to me. The ending twist (without giving away too much here) was essentially a personal dilemma regarding having a child or not. As you may expect - I was going for a sci-fi, looking for aliens and was confronted in the end with an apparently 'confusing tale'. I was totally disappointed. I really think that the synopsis from the film maker (and IMDb) should be more honest. They should sell the film as an personal drama with an ethical bend (because this is what it is). The so-called sci-fi elements in the film were completely incidental (and was 'light-weight' for sci-fi fans). The story could have easily been replaced by a woman touching an electrical cable and completely 'rewired' her visions about herself and her future (instead of trying to speak to the aliens, and then being re-wired by the contact). If you saw the film and came away thinking ... "What was that?", then I would advise you read this article - use Google search for 'How the short story that inspired Arrival helps us interpret the film's major twist' by the Verge. The give-away of the whole film why it is *not* a sci-fi movie was the reply that Amy Adams gave to her daughter - "I made a mistake." If you are a sci-fi fan, save your money. Go somewhere else. If you are just looking for a twist, perhaps this film will do it.