Arrival

A closer look at the story

One day mysterious spacecraft touch down at various points around the globe, and humanity is left in an anxious wait without knowing what the visitors want. To make contact with these beings, the military calls on the renowned linguist Dr. Louise Banks. Working with the scientists on her team, Louise tries to decode an utterly alien language step by step while racing the clock, because the central question remains unanswered: have the newcomers come in peace, or do they pose a threat? Denis Villeneuve directs Eric Heisserer's adaptation of a story by Ted Chiang; the 116-minute 2016 film stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker in a thoughtful science-fiction drama.