Arrival is Saving Science Fiction

Amy Adams in Arrival (2016)

Denis Velleneuve has proven himself to be a competent and phenomenal director with films like Prisoners, Sicario, and Enemy under his belt, and one can't help but feel as if they were all building up toward Arrival. Velleneuve is one of my favorite directors and you can expect reviews on his other work in the near future, especially after Arrival left me longing to revisit his older films. That being said, his past filmography pales in comparison to the depth and power behind his newest release.

On the surface, Arrival is little more than another story about humanity making first contact with aliens, but it is so much more. Arrival examines, with a realistic scope and worldwide perspective, exactly how humanity would truly respond to contact being made with other life forms. It also displays in a far more accurate and realistic way, the fumbling awkward conversations which would take place as they attempt communication (bear in mind that even the Spaniards who colonized South America took the time to try to communicate before anything happened - not that this is the route the film takes, but rather an observation which is typically missed and a sequence of events which is avoided altogether in other movies depicting aliens coming to Earth).

Arrival is intelligent and profound science fiction, it reflects ideas and depth in an intelligent manner which one might find in a Michael Crichton novel rather than from seeing the newest Star Trek. It shows a different side to science fiction, one which doesn't feel the need to concern itself with action sequences, but is instead driven by human emotion, dialogue, and offering the audience deep questions and profound statements which will stick with them for life. Arrival is art in its purest form, perhaps even a plea to humanity for peace and kindness.

The soundtrack to Arrival is as beautiful as the film itself, with instruments and noises scattered throughout that sound as alien as the beings our protagonist finds herself attempting to communicate with. Unlike most films, the soundtrack sinks deep into the pit of your stomach, it resonates with you rather than providing mindless background noise to fill the silence in the film. Silence is also expertly used, showing that the composer Johann Johannsson understands how quiet can be just as powerful (or unnerving) as the use of instruments droning deeply in the minor key.

Prior to seeing this film I was never a particularly big fan of Amy Adams. While I didn't think she was a bad actress, I was certainly never moved by any of her performances and never found her to be very interesting. This opinion has changed drastically. Amy Adams shows extraordinary talent in Arrival, catching on to small details and nuances in her character which otherwise would not have been there if she were played by any other actress, she seems to understand the script and ideas the director to a remarkable extent, and her performance was so moving and powerful in some moments that it actually nearly moved me to tears.

I am not ashamed to say that Arrival was one of the few movies to make me cry in theaters. At its core, Arrival brings forth a message of love and pacifism, but it does so through such subtlety that it never comes across as condescending or preachy; it merely tells a beautiful story, one which shows the negativity of violence and the power knowledge has over the brutality that some stoop to.

Arrival is in theaters now, and I strongly urge you to see it on the big screen and experience its beauty and intensity for yourself.

If you like the content that The Foxy Film Fan puts out and would like to ensure that it keeps coming, I encourage you to check out our Patreon for more information on how you can help!