Arrival aims for a grounded depiction of how an alien arrival might unfold, particularly concerning international relations. The film centers on Amy Adams’s character attempting to discern the aliens’ intentions before other nations intervene, and her casting was exceptionally well-handled; I typically find Adams unremarkable, but she delivers a strong performance given what she has to work with. Jeremy Renner performs adequately for his role, though he's constrained by the fact that this isn’t an action film where he can engage in typical heroic behavior—I like Renner, but I question whether he was ideally suited for the part. Forrest Whitaker also appears, and while his acting is acceptable, he employs a peculiar accent seemingly without purpose. I even had to check interviews to confirm it wasn't just another affectation. It’s an odd, artificial sound that distracts from the film because there’s no logical explanation for it; it isn't a recognizable regional or foreign dialect. The plot is suitable given the story's direction. However, I personally dislike certain narrative conventions, and Arrival relies on one of them, which I found to be an unnecessary and foolish complication—I won't elaborate so as not to spoil anything. Ultimately, Arrival is about aliens arriving on Earth, but this serves mainly as a backdrop for the very human drama that’s heavily dialogue-driven and focuses primarily on Amy Adams rather than the extraterrestrials themselves. I’m unsure of the film’s timeline, but after establishing the core purpose, it felt abrupt to jump forward in time with a montage instead of maintaining a continuous narrative flow. The movie is largely set in Montana, showcasing beautiful scenery and impressive sets. The cinematography offers some inventive approaches, utilizing shots and colors to enhance the plot rather than simply record events. Having heard comparisons to Interstellar, I worried that Arrival might be overly arrogant, indulgent, or pretentious; while I now understand the reasoning behind those comparisons, Arrival avoids these pitfalls. It doesn't try to present itself as something it isn’t. A few story elements prevented my rating from exceeding a four, but I struggle to imagine anyone who approaches Arrival with an understanding of what kind of film it is giving it a significantly lower score. If you anticipate a Mars Attacks-style spectacle or something like Alien or Independence Day, you'll be let down; Arrival is more akin to a drama. It’s technically science fiction due to the presence of aliens, but that isn't the central element driving the narrative. Should you choose to watch Arrival prepared for a slower pace and lacking the typical sci-fi thrills, replaced instead with believable characters and dramatic tension, I don’t believe you’ll be disappointed.

Source on TMDB