Watching Arrival I felt all the cheese of all the bad sci fi movies I have watched this sad year (I’m thinking X-Men, Star Trek and Independence Day) just wash away. Arrival is an excellent sci fi movie but it is an even better psychological drama and fervent romance. Although it looks at the big questions of our existence and communication with extraterrestrials, it ultimately looks within us to create a sci fi movie that is not obtuse and theoretical but emotional and moving. It’s the thinking man’s sci fi movie of 2016. The director of the gripping ‘Scario’ has such an eye for detail, believably, emotional arc, beautiful shots, subtlety and right mood. A lot of thought and care has gone into creating a alien language system that is both believable and thought provoking. Amy Adams is the glue binding this film together, you never once leave her side or not see yourself in her, she is fast becoming one of my favorite actresses. The colour palate of the film is so soft and moody, you feel as if you are slipping into a dream like state as you watch it. Arrival is a triumph and one of the most believable movies about our encounter with aliens that I have yet seen.

9/10  ***1/2