Mind-bendingly suspenseful

Rating: 9/10 (17 November 2016)

" Now that's a proper introduction."
This mind-bending sci-fi is simply amazing. From the visuals and the music, to the acting, writing, and fine details like the fact that a whole visual syntax was developed for this film.
"Arrival" has to be one of the best films of the year, so if you see it, and I recommend that you come prepared for the cast and story to draw you into it, from it's painful if somewhat enigmatic opening, to it's tense climax, to it's beautiful, bittersweet finale that makes you rethink yourself, humanity, and our universe.
One detail I really enjoyed was the design of the heptapods' craft was the resemblance to the similarity to the obelisks in Stanley Kübrick's film adaptation of 2001: A Space Odessey (originally a series of novels written by Sir Arthur C Clarke) The heptapods' unique design was also a welcome break from the average humanoid ETs commonly featured in Hollywood.
Also, the recurring Abbot and Costello reference helped add just the right amount of humor to an otherwise serious film.