Arrival (2016)

Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival is a major departure from his earlier dark thrillers, and it may be his most hopeful film. This is thoughtful, intelligent science fiction for adult audiences, closer in spirit to Contact than to Independence Day. It is a first-contact drama that trusts its audience to sit with ambiguity and complexity, and it rewards that trust with a story that builds to a revelation both intellectually satisfying and deeply moving.

Amy Adams delivers what may be among her finest performances, carrying the film’s emotional weight with a subtlety that makes every quiet moment count. Jeremy Renner provides lighter energy, and Forest Whitaker’s military character is more thoughtful than the genre usually allows. The cinematography is restrained compared to Villeneuve’s more recent spectacles, and the minimal CGI keeps the focus on the human story at its centre. This is undoubtedly a must-see, and the kind of science fiction film that lingers long after the credits.