Arrival Review: 10 Reasons It's An Instant Classic

Once Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his Oscar, many stated Amy Adams was the next in the "how the heck have they not won" queue, and based on her fall 2016 it won't be long until that really catches on. I've not seen Nocturnal Animals yet, although by all accounts it's a tense turn, but I can attest for Arrival.

In a film that could so easily have been dominated by the spectacle of its visuals and its ideas, she is the most captivating element. It's actually rather similar to DiCaprio's turn in Inception - on the face of it a conduit, yet every thread leads right back to them. She's a strong, intelligent presence, but there's a stress and torture underscoring an initial confidence, and an instant relatability through some heartbreaking early turns. As an actor Adams has always been skilled at conveying how massive highs come hand-in-hand with crushing lows, and here she's given a role that pushes that to the extreme.

The rest of the cast do excellent jobs with their limited roles, especially Jeremy Renner, who out of nowhere gets the film's most emotional scene, but it's all there to boost Louise's journey.