Arrival (2016)

7.9PG-13116 minDirector: Denis Villeneuve

2016 American science fiction drama film

Arrival is a 2016 American science fiction drama film directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Eric Heisserer, based on the 1998 novella "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang. The film stars Amy Adams as Louise Banks, a linguist engaged by the United States Army to discover how to communicate with extraterrestrials who have arrived on Earth, before tensions lead to war. Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, and Michael Stuhlbarg appear in supporting roles.

Arrival had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2016, and was released theatrically in the United States by Paramount Pictures on November 11, 2016. It grossed $203 million worldwide and received widespread acclaim with praise directed towards Adams's performance, Villeneuve's direction, and the exploration of communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. Considered one of the best films of 2016, Arrival appeared on numerous critics' year-end lists and was selected by the American Film Institute as one of ten "Movies of the Year".

It received eight nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay, and won Best Sound Editing. For her performance, Adams received nominations for a BAFTA, SAG, Critics' Choice; at the 74th Golden Globe Awards, Adams was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and Jóhann Jóhannsson was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. The film was awarded the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation and the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in 2017. The score by Jóhann was nominated for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 60th Grammy Awards.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Arrival about?
Arrival (2016) — Linguistics professor Louise Banks leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touchdown in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestr
Is Arrival based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Arrival scary?
Content rating: PG-13. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.