Arrival will become a sci-fi classic

Rating: 9/10 (13 November 2016)

Arrival was my most anticipated movie of 2016 and upon seeing it I can surely say that it was definitely not what I expected, but it certainly impressed me.
Denis Villeneuve is one of my favorite modern directors and has an admirable track record including Sicario, Prisoners and Enemy. Being a fan of all three of these films, I was very excited to see Denis tackle the broad spectrum of sci-fi. But Denis took a very different approach to the "alien invasion" genre and it completely paid off. Arrival is a much needed fresh breath of air within the science-fiction world and will be among the year's best films.
To start, Amy Adams' performance is Oscar-worthy. Her character goes through so many stages of emotions throughout the movie and Amy Adams perfectly captures these emotions, mostly without dialogue. This is very impressive. Jeremy Renner did a good job as well, even though his character wasn't really necessary within the movie. He isn't really given much screen time to really develop and he lacks "the scene" that solidifies his position in the story. The same can be said for Forest Whitaker's character. Because Arrival is more focused on these characters rather than our otherworldly visitors, this could be seen as a glaring issue, but the character's interactions are well done when they have to be.
All of Villeneuve's other films are beautifully shot using many different methods of angles, colors, symbolism and scale. Arrival follows this template and is one of the most stunning films of the decade. The circulating shot in which we see the visitors for the first time is utterly spectacular, with rolling fog briefly disguising the alien monolith. It is one of the most memorable and breathtaking scenes from any film in recent years. The entire movie looks visually stunning, from the green Montana valley where our story unfolds, to the ancient alien architecture. The "heptapods" also look awesome, but not overdone. Many sci-fi movies want to show us too much of their alien creations, which usually leads to eye-rolling when our expectations aren't met, but Arrival gave us just enough to satisfy our curiosity without going overboard and destroying the feeling of intense realism. Arrival is overall a visually breathtaking experience with it's immense beauty reflective among the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The music is also fantastic. From unsettling, soft choir hymns to bold and bombastic strings, the music is not present throughout the entire film but kicks in at just the right moments to accompany the films best scenes.
The films story is simple overall but takes an unexpected twist during the last third. This twist is brilliantly done and doesn't even feel remotely gimmicky. Once you figure the twist out, going back through the movie in your head to notice new little details is fun and even goose- bump inducing. This twist gives a whole new feeling of humanity within this alien "invasion" story and propelled the film so much further than I would've ever have expected it to go.
Arrival is just as much about human nature and psychology as it is about alien study. Unlike many other films within the genre, the human aspects of the story are just as good as the alien's.
I had only a few minor gripes with Arrival and that involves the galactic tourists showcased within the film. The "main question" that Arrival revolves around is never fully answered, and when it was, it seemed to be glossed over quickly as just a minor plot detail. There should have been a little more explanation on the "big question" because it seemed to be more of a marketing scheme that was never fully addressed within the movie itself. Another small issue was the process of learning their "language" and specifically how fast it happened. It seemed like one second we were trying to figure if the aliens even knew what words are, and the next they're speaking fluidly with the creatures. While it probably would have been impossible to explain the decoding of the language to the audience, it would have been nice to see the movie try.
Overall, Arrival is a visually stunning and beautiful story of human nature and our interaction with otherworldly beings. It feels extremely realistic in a way no other science-fiction movie has managed before, almost so real it could pass as a documentary. Arrival is a sci-fi classic, not just for our time, but for the times to come. Future generations will see Arrival as we see 2001: A Space Odyssey. And it totally deserves it.