20 Great Films You Won't Believe Aren't On IMDb's Top 250
16. Arrival
Rating: 7.9
A slow-moving drama disguised as a blockbuster and a philosophical piece which happens to feature giant tentacled aliens, this is a mesmerizing marriage of commercial and art-house cinema.
Arrival is like a middle finger to bad movies of this age. An explosion-free blockbuster which puts dialogue, characters and story first, it's a slower and deeper alien invasion narrative than normal. It's also an artistic drama that isn't dull and pretentious like many art-house films. The way in which this uses blockbuster conventions to tell one of the most profound stories in recent memory is incredible to watch and this proves spectacle and drama can work together in a beneficial way.
Featuring flawless direction by Denis Villeneuve and incredible performances, this meditation on communication, time, courage and unity is one of the best science-fiction films of the century, which has one of the greatest plot twists of them all and one of the most beautifully bittersweet endings you'll ever see. It should definitely have a spot on the Top 250 and, to be honest, it should've been the Best Picture winner of that year.
Where It Should Be: #150-#250