Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

So, I saw this moive late at night with some wine at hand, it held my gaze and kept me wondering about what happens next. It's uniqe, chill, stilish and at times even gripping. Now, if you want to geek out and have a "true to life" sci-fi, then you won't like this flick. But if you want to immerse yourself for a couple of hours with the idea of taking to aliens, be my guest.

Arrival is a beautifully layered approach to the typical sci-fi theme. Much like Adams' character Dr.Banks chiding the scientific Donelly on starting with the basics of communication, the movie seems to be lecturing the genre about the inordinate focus on how aliens look, what their materials are etc and not asking the more basic questions. It conveniently allows the plot to avoid answering those questions, and it works as the viewer is able to suspend judgement on those points. But in focusing on the broader narratives it's let down by the more simple storytelling detail, such as the initial scenes of Whitaker meeting Adams, and the incredulity of Adams learning the aliens language.

Still it is unbelievable how this movie has so high rate. So blunt, so hollow... everything is familiar so achingly familiar . I guess only teenagers rated this movie

It's a scathing indictment of Humanity's primal survival instincts and how they inherently begin to work against us, contained within a story that forces the mind to do just the opposite: remain vulnerable. I love it. Those who dislike this movie are, in a sense, exactly the ones that it calls out: those with preconceptions with which they are unable to part.