“Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down 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 extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.”

We loved Sicario also directed by  Denis Villeneuve which you may have seen.  The films are quite different but both thoughtful and thought provoking with a   believable twist taking you into the director’s mind.

I was resistant as I don’t like aliens and space films. I don’t like to suspend reality.  As I have said before, I get fiction but am not a fan  of fantasy and monsters. ” The Arrival” was more in the vein of “Independence Day” at the beginning of the story when the audience feel the suspense and mystery of what is happening with the characters.  Then when the aliens arrived , it lost me.  “The Arrival” is different in that it all does seem possible  which was a surprise.   The hype is quite true.  It is  thoughtful and the story gets in your head in spike of the slow pace.  The “ship” is quite amazing visually.

My take was that the story was a metaphor and David got something  quite different!   (Sorry, I don’t want to ruin the story for you!)  But as we shared, we decided that  both were true to the plot and characters.   Who knows maybe there is even another take away.

I read on the net that “The Arrival” is this generation’s “Close Encounters”  which I actually enjoyed too.   I would say it will have multi-generational appeal.  PG 13 and appropriate for children.   **** stars out of *****