Amy Adams stars in Arrival (2016) | Review

Arrival is a dystopian drama with high stakes and an overpowering plot, this new approach to the classic ‘alien’ genre is utterly unique. Telling the story from the point of view of Louise Banks (Adams), her already tragic backstory adds to the suspense and overall tension during the set up for the first encounter. The subject matter is disturbing, unnerving to say the least. Along with the blue tint, Arrival (2016) is undoubtedly a poetic and unsettling spectacle. The first thirty minutes are pure suspense, waiting for the reveal, waiting for the arrival. I found myself on edge, feeling the weight of the story, the cinematic build up executed marvellously.

A realistic storytelling of human nature and how we react to fear and the unknown. Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner are a performance duo I didn’t know I needed, the two have undoubted chemistry and lead through their scenes with ease. Arrival is a neat one hour and fifty six minutes long, I did find the first half could have easily been cut, the film takes a turn at fifty minutes. The tone changes and the film evolves, I’m pleased I lasting through the first half because the feature instantly grasped my attention. Arrival definitely develops slowly, the film almost moves in real time, we feel the severity of the stakes and the demand for answers. Arrival is a strong feature, with a clear, linear narrative, strong, flawed characters and a distinctly original story.