15 Most Critically Adored Films 2016 - Ranked
3. Arrival
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% (291 reviews)
It seems like French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve can’t put a foot wrong. In 2013, his thriller Prisoners was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and in 2015 his Mexico-set crime drama Sicario was one of the year’s most highly rated flicks alongside receiving a few Academy Award and BAFTA nominations too. This year, Villeneuve turned his hand to sci-fi with the equally critically acclaimed Arrival.
Starring Amy Adams as Dr Louise Banks, an expert linguist called upon by the military to interpret a complex alien language after several mysterious spacecraft touch down in several locations across the planet, it’s a film that’s both brimming with the kind of tension Villeneuve’s works are known for but also a surprisingly emotional and heartfelt sci-fi.
If the film press predictions are correct, Arrival could be in the running for a few Academy Award nominations too and 2017 could be the year that one of Villeneuve’s finally wins a coveted Oscar.