SNAPSHOT
Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario), the film is based on Ted Chiang’s 1998 novella Story of Your Life with a script with Eric Heisserer (The Thing (2011)). When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team – lead by expert linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) – are brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers – and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity. (syopsis via and (c) Coming Soon)
First contact is, for very good reasons, an enduring theme in sci-fi literature.
It’s easy to see why – in one all-encompassing premise, you can explore a host of substantial ideas which go to the heart of who we are as a people.
Among them is our typical clumsiness, not to mention downright hatred and fear at times, when we encounter Others who don’t fit our expectations of normal; we might be adventurous, inquisitive creatures with a lust for knowledge and understanding but that’s doesn’t always come to the fore when we come across those who are are nothing like us.
Or who appear to be nothing like us.
That’s why aliens are such an enduring symbol of the Other; they are the ultimate unknown and Arrival looks it will make good use of our innate ability to be the very best and the very worst of ourselves, sometimes all at once.
What’s pleasing about the trailer is that suggests that the film is taking an intelligent, slow-burning approach to examining what might happen should aliens arrive one day; there is action, fear and uncertainty sure, and escalating tension but there is also curiosity, a willingness to drop reflexive fear and suspicion and build connections.
And that’s promises not just a film that will be less blowing up the White House and more getting to know you, getting to know all about you.
That is, of course, if the more primal parts of our nature can be held in check for long enough which as the trailer unfolds, begins to look more and more doubtful.
Arrival opens in Australia 10 November and USA 11 November.
WOW this movie looks great! I’m always interested to see sci-fi movies that deal with aliens. Thanks for this post, I didn’t even know this movie existed!
You’re welcome! Neither did I until recently – it kind of snuck under the radar
This looks really good. I saw the trailer nad thought exactly the same as you: it seems intelligent and interesting.
I can’t wait. I love these types of films that eschew shoot em up invasions for some thoughtful introspection and thought.