Arrival Review: 10 Reasons It's An Instant Classic

10. It Takes Up A Unique Place In The Genre

There’s been stories about humanity’s first encounter with aliens as long as cinema, and the best films has worked as a representation of the attitudes of its contemporary society. In 2016, we’re a long way on from the care-free fascination of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, but so too does the straight-out fear of Independence Day and War Of The World seems a little reductive by modern standards. As such, Arrival is an extension of the genre where the ultimate feeling is uncertainty; the sense of unknowing chokes the movie, both on a global and personal level.

There’s also a key comparison point to be made with Interstellar, autumn 2014’s idea-heavy sci-fi from Christopher Nolan. On a basic level, taking a look at lofty existential concepts from a singular, emotional position, the films have a lot in common, but Arrival’s execution is much more deftly handled.

Now don’t get me wrong, I liked Interstellar a lot, especially when it comes to the sheer scale of the undertaking, but from a story and character angle, Arrival is the superior film, with all of its plot strands and themes locking more tightly together.