This Friday will see the release of the sci-fi independent film, Arrival which finally makes its theatrical debut after a hugely successful run at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it has been hailed by critics and viewers alike. The film is receiving an enormous amount of acclaim, and for good reason. From Denis Villenvenue, fresh off the success of his critical hits Prisoners and Sicario, this film brings his unique storytelling perspective and crafts a truly clever film, full of originality and brilliant performances. The superb and intricate storytelling of Arrival will leave you with intrigue until the very last frame of the film.
Arrival is another film fresh off the era of clever science-fiction storytelling, after cinematic masterpieces like Interstellar, Gravity and The Martian. The film blends realistic situations with fictional settings, making a film that is far-fetched in story, but very much grounded by its very real performances and emotional drama. It includes some truly gripping moments of tension that will not only put you at the edge of your seat, but will also have you attempting to put the pieces of the puzzle together for a film that slowly reveals it’s secrets. Arrival isn’t afraid to pull the rug out from under it’s viewers a few times, leaving the characters to scramble in new situations and the audience to attempt to keep up. Everything will come to a wonderful conclusion, but Arrival is about the journey to the end of its story, and audiences are about to strap in for an incredible ride.
Arrival is filled with brilliant cinematography which in many ways mirrors the “JJ Abrams effect”. In other word’s JJ’s “mystery box”, in which a director slowly reveals the secrets of the film, slowly feeding the audiences with bits of information that comes in to play at the very end. This effects leaves viewers to put the pieces together and to keep guessing the outcome of the film, and this is something that Arrival eels very familiar to. In the end, it pays off in spades, but any fans of Abrams similar techniques should b able to find many redeeming qualities about Villenvenue’s Arrival.
Despite that Arrival explores other-worldly endeavours, the drama that unfolds within the film is filled with real emotion, one which I can promise is bound to leave you in tears. It explores impactful moments about defining ourselves and the outcome we create for own lives. Arrival might be a film about aliens arriving on Earth, but it’s also the most realistic film of this movie season so far.
Arrival is a brilliant, complex and emotional journey that should inspire and entertain you. It’s a clever and chilling sci-fi, filled with ambition and creativity. Most importantly, it’s a pioneer in great cinematic storytelling, and Denis Villenvenue has proven to deliver on great storytelling again and again. Arrival is an impactful, inspiring journey that will be worth every bit of your time, and one I’m sure you’ll be hearing about quite a lot this upcoming award season.
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