Arrival

Science fiction movies sure are running rampant right now.

I can't really say when the urge for new science fiction movies started...I suppose back in 2013, with Gravity, but I feel like it was before then. But ever since Star Wars became relevant again, people have been attacking the Sci-Fi genre, and most of them have been working to make them more realistic. Like, giving people a sense of what would really happen in this situation if it were happening today. Sometimes it works, like with 2015's The Martian, sometimes, not so much...but yet, I always look forward to the fare provided every year...and that brings us to Arrival.

Arrival is 2016's first sci-fi feature. It's directed by Denis Villeneuve, of Prisoners and Sicario fame, a true teller of what we have in store. The trailers had me hooked...big star power...gorgeous visuals. How could you go wrong? Could you even go wrong if you tried?

The story is such...all of a sudden, twelve alien ships appear in key points around the globe. College professor and linguist Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is recruited along with astrophysicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) to inspect what happened and try and establish communications with the species on board. Progress begins to be made, but the world grows weary of the slow speed of which the pair is working, and soon, tensions start to arise as certain pieces of the alien dialogue becomes misinterpreted. However, even with the heightened nerves, Banks manages to get even closer to what's in there...even discovering something as great as life itself.

So, yeah...I mean, this feels all like a bit of a usual thing...you know, military being military...not giving people enough time...

Okay, enough bullshitting.

Arrival is beautiful. It is just that. Starting off with the story, you have to give them props for creating one of the most believable settings and some of the best dialogue and situations that you could possibly give these characters. It manages to mix gripping feelings, torn emotions, and huge Shyamalanian twists all in there and it fucking WORKS. It's brilliant how well this movie works all together. The cast (especially Adams and Renner), the score, the visuals, oh my GOD the visuals. It's all so pure...so beautiful, and I can't get enough of it.

Arrival is a movie that is a definite must see if you like a bit of a brain puzzler. It'll rope you in with one thing and then throw you back out with another, and I love it. I love every second of it. I'm giving Arrival a 9.7/10 because it is truly, TRULY one of the best films of the year. This needs ALL the oscars. ALL OF THEM.