Customer Ratings & Reviews

If Batman v Superman didn't do Amy Adams any justice, then Arrival will. For once, Arrival tells a compelling story: a known language connoisseur is assigned to translate what a group of aliens is communicating in order to understand why they arrived on Earth. Adams characters, Louise Banks, is quite intelligent and will never be the same. After deciphering their language, she has her perception of time manipulated. How scary! Jeremy Renner's character is quite funny. There may be no true antagonists, but the antagonists are the world and their (hostile) perception of the aliens. Finally, the aliens' writing system is magnificent! I wish I knew how to spell my name in their language!

It’s will make you stop and think about what is outside our solar system. What if they had made the wrong call in their decision? Think about that but we can’t give away the ending.

A group of scientists must find a way to communicate with aliens after they land at 12 locations around the world. While trying to communicate with the aliens, linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams), discovers that time is non-linear for the aliens, and they have a different means of communication.

Total think piece... If your looking for action this isn't it but I you want something that will leave you thinking this is the one

I was very surprised at the quality of the acting. I really enjoyed this film

I didn't know much about this film before watching it the first time, and I was blown away. The storytelling is deep, nuanced, and visually stunning. The performances are stellar and moving. The sound and music are unique and immediately set this film's world apart from others. The overall themes touch on timeless and powerful human questions. Definitely recommend for any lover of great science fiction or great movie-making in general.

One of my favorite movies! Unique plot for an alien movie. Highly recommend!

Canadian Denis Villeneuve is one of the most brilliant filmmakers alive, having just come off of a string of five consecutive masterpieces, starting with "Polytechnique" in 2009 and proceeding with "Incendies", "Prisoners", "Enemy", and 2015's "Sicario". Known for bending viewers' minds with provocative movies that sometimes require copious thought to unlock their meanings, "Arrival" is not an exception. Ostensibly an alien-invasion movie about an expert linguist who is called upon to decode the language of arriving aliens in order to communicate with them, the film reaches so much further, even to primal questions of human existence. It is a hard film to discuss because it contains a bona-fide puzzle a viewer must unlock (involving time and, possibly, other dimensions) in order to even approach the film's meaning. If one 'gets' it, the film's denouement can be an emotional epiphany for the viewer; if not, one might flounder in enigmas upon leaving the theater. The film's genius is that either way the viewer should find this film haunting him for days after, perhaps taunting him to unlock its secrets. A second viewing is virtually a necessity, not only to study its careful plotting but also to appreciate its emotional resonances one has been too busy to appreciate upon first viewing, and it is a revelation upon seeing it again to find that the film has completely 'played fair,' providing visual and audio clues that had passed unnoticed. Amy Adams plays the linguist with such deep sincerity and total commitment, so important when one realizes that she is the true center of the film -- and Villeneuve, along with cinematographer Bradford Young, has supplied visuals so breathtakingly stunning you might have to pinch yourself to believe what your eyes are seeing. The visuals are also matched by the remarkable score by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (who had teamed with Villeneuve on "Prisoners" and "Sicario") using vocals and experimental piano 'loops' to put viewers into an other-worldly state of being. It is such an audacious, creative piece of intelligent, adult science fiction (something rarely encountered today), the thoughtful, open-minded viewer should embrace this as a gem for both the mind and heart, and not hold against it that it is less interested in the usual science fiction tropes than the light and dark paradigms of human existence.

Awesome UFO movie! Great cast and well written. Buy it!

"Arrival" had been on my books since its release for a viewing but I ended up getting to this one much later than usual. Once Best Buy put this on a $10 sale, it was time for me to buy it (I have a personal policy to buy Blu-rays for movies I truly want when they reach a cinema movie ticket price) and it made its way into my collection. A month later, I finally watched it and BAM!! WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE!! Modern-day cinema is certainly replete with tales of Alien visitation of all kinds but the way in which "Arrival" has written its story and the deft direction it received puts it very high on my list of movies. Essentially, you'll be watching a movie that's destined to be labeled as a classic, right up there with sci-fi classics from the 60s, 70s, and beyond. NOTE: This is NOT a movie rife with action, so those looking for an adrenaline-laden experience should check in elsewhere. If you're looking for a dramatic, thought-provoking experience with realistic direction and acting performances, you've found the right film. The film's experience will stay on your mind for days afterward and you'll very likely want repeat viewings. As for the Blu-ray disc, you can't go wrong with this one. The video is very good (not perfect because the film has a darker palette than one would expect but it WAS the choice of the director and it's presented well on Blu-ray) and the audio immerses you fully wherever the story goes. Personally, I would have enjoyed a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X track for this film because the film's content is a great contender for the additional channels. However, if you have a receiver capable of DTS Neural Surround (DTS:X for DTS HD-MA 5.1 or 7.1 tracks), you WILL be treated to a highly engaging surround experience. There are times where the dialogue is critical to follow, so for those of you with the choice of watching this on your family room HDTV without a soundbar or home theater receiver or in a dedicated HT room, I highly recommend the HT room. The extras are good (for a film of this caliber, I wanted more) and you'll likely want to look at them not too long after you finish the film. If you're a fan of truly intelligent sci-fi and a look into the human drama behind an encounter with the ultimate unknown, I can't see how you'd consider this experience to be anything less than stellar. This one comes Highly Recommended.

Being weened on 50's, 60's, and other top-notch science fiction movies ever since like Signs, and the Alien, the Predator, the Thing and as-of-late Cloverfield series, which by the way has a modern day Ripley-like heroine, subtly and masterfully portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, right here on Earth who will ultimately save our precious planet by spearheading a newfound resistance, I found The Arrival, although excellently crafted, directed, and performed overall a level below all of these other classics. Amy Adams is a worthy heroine and ambassador for Earth's first contact with a technologically superior and somewhat more advanced alien species that's ventured to Earth out of scientific curiosity and benevolence, not imperialistic colonization or conquering. This can be a refreshing approach to a new series of alien science fiction! However, compare it to The Day the Earth Stood Still and Klaatu's compassion and diplomacy for humanity's welfare. Yet, Klaatu's and his master race's best intentions for peace on Earth were to be enforced by Gort, the giant robot empowered with a disintegrating ray that could destroy the world if we don't comply to their mandates of passivity. An incredibly imposing creation of imminent danger standing-by ready to be activated by any of our petty earthling world leaders' stupid squabbles, Gort dutifully awaits! These comparisons are merely to point that The Arrival is a whole different concept of an extra-terrestrial visitation on Earth for our ultimate welfare and benefit, hopefully. A very nice addition to any sci-fi fans collection!

Canadian Denis Villeneuve is one of the most brilliant filmmakers alive, having just come off of a string of five consecutive masterpieces, starting with "Polytechnique" in 2009 and proceeding with "Incendies", "Prisoners", "Enemy", and last year's "Sicario" (my favorite film of 2015). Known for bending viewers' minds with provocative movies that sometimes require copious thought to unlock their meanings, "Arrival" is not an exception. Ostensibly an alien-invasion movie about an expert linguist who is called upon to decode the language of arriving aliens in order to communicate with them, the film reaches so much further, even to primal questions of human existence. It is a hard film to discuss because it contains a bona-fide puzzle a viewer must unlock (involving time and, possibly, other dimensions) in order to even approach the film's meaning. If one 'gets' it, the film's denouement can be an emotional epiphany for the viewer; if not, one might flounder in enigmas upon leaving the theater. The film's genius is that either way the viewer should find this film haunting him for days after, perhaps taunting him to unlock its secrets. A second viewing is virtually a necessity, not only to study its careful plotting but also to appreciate its emotional resonances one has been too busy to appreciate upon first viewing, and it is a revelation upon seeing it again to find that the film has completely 'played fair,' providing visual and audio clues that had passed unnoticed. Amy Adams plays the linguist with such deep sincerity and total commitment, so important when one realizes that she is the true center of the film -- and Villeneuve, along with cinematographer Bradford Young, has supplied visuals so breathtakingly stunning you might have to pinch yourself to believe what your eyes are seeing. The visuals are also matched by the remarkable score by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (who had teamed with Villeneuve on "Prisoners" and "Sicario") using vocals and experimental piano 'loops' to put viewers into an other-worldly state of being. It is such an audacious, creative piece of intelligent, adult science fiction (something rarely encountered today), the thoughtful, open-minded viewer should embrace this as a gem for both the mind and heart, and not hold against it that it is less interested in the usual science fiction tropes than the light and dark paradigms of human existence.

I don't have a 4K tv or UHD Blu player to watch this on yet, but it comes with the regular Blu-ray and I figured it was worth few extra bucks now instead of double-dipping in a few years. This was one of my favorite films of 2016 when I saw it in the theater. Denis Villenueve (director of SICARIO and INCENDIES) has given us an intelligent slow burn sci-fi film without excessive explosions or idiotic robots battling while looking like a spinning levitating trash heap (I'm looking at you Mr. Bay). If you like smart sci-fi, or are a bit of a language geek who has been waiting for a major film to make a linguist the main character, you should definitely check out ARRIVAL, otherwise you should still check it out for the excellent performance by Amy Adams so you can join the rest of us who think she was robbed of an Oscar nomination (perhaps instead of Meryl Streep getting nominated for an ok comedy). I can't comment on the 4K & HDR quality, but have heard good reviews of it being a noticeable improvement over the 1080p Blu version despite being a 2K mastered film up-scaled to 4K (as unfortunately happens on a number of modern films, probably so they can save time/money -- LA LA LAND was shot on film, reportedly scanned at 5K and had digital intermediate done at 2K and then got bumped up to 4K for theaters and UHD). I would prefer if all 4K releases had DI done in 4K instead of 2K, but if its done well and colors in HDR are done well, it can still be worth a few bucks for the upgrade

I preordered this Blu-Ray and was pretty much satisfied with the product. It had a slip cover, though I wish it would've had the Oscar sticker on it like the cases in the store did. The Blu-Ray seems to work fine, the digital copy was a plus. (It was sort of disappointing it didn't come with a DVD as well.) It has quite a few bonus features. As for the movie itself, this is very slow moving, understated story about a language expert attempting to communicate with Earth's new arrivals. There really isn't much action here, but there is a compelling tension that builds throughout the movie, unfolding in a thought-provoking and unique plot circumstance. (Some might even call it a plot twist, but I think that term doesn't connote subtleties.) Arrival also has a great emtional core, which is what really compelled me to buy it. Amy Adams is wonderful in her performance and Jeremy Renner adds some humor. The SFX and CGI are well done. The content is restrained and that is important to me. It is very hard to find mature movies that do not contain tons of profanity, "adult" content, or graphic violence--Arrival is breath of fresh air in those regards. (The PG-13 seems to be based solely for the inclusion of one word--the harshest profanity--which is barely intelligible to the ears.) In conclusion, Arrival is a well-made, thought-provoking, and clean sci-fi drama that holds up to repeated viewing.

I'm a huge science fiction fan, which means I recognize that there is great, average, and poor science fiction in books, TV shows, and movies. I put this film in my all-time top 10 list of science fiction films, right up there with 2001: A Space Odyssey and Terminator 2. The special effect are top-notch. The acting is excellent, with no over-the-top hysterics by any of the actors or actresses. The story itself is incredibly realistic and believable; it is perhaps the best example I can think of that would be what we would hope for (and be fearful of) in a first encounter with a sentient alien species. While some felt the movie was "slow": you're somewhat correct in that it is not an action-based such as the original Independence Day (which I also enjoyed for what it is, a popcorn movie). But the incredible realism of this film has you asking "What would I do in this situation?" many times throughout the film. This is a intelligent, thought-provoking science fiction; I highly recommended it. The Blu-ray is a gorgeous transfer, with natural color timing and sharp, and detailed imagery in every scene. Highly recommended, unless you're strictly looking for an action/sci-fi film.

Excellent movie by Denis Villenueve! While the 4K disc isn't a drastic improvement over the standard blu-ray disc in terms of sharpness, the HDR makes a difference here! The improved contrast makes the colors more impactful, but still reserved to reflect the movie's intended tone. The 4K disc itself does not include any extras/special features, but they are all included on the standard blu-ray that is also included in this set. Comes with English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles. Extras on the blu-ray disc include the following: -Xenolinguistics: Understanding Arrival (30:03) -Acoustic Signatures: The Sound Design (13:59) -Eternal Recurrence: The Score (11:24) -Nonlinear Thinking: The Editing Process (11:20) -Principles of Time, Memory, & Language (15:24)

I had purchased several HDR tv's from the most expensive SONY to a Samsung. After having these TV's they were good but for the price did not tickle my fancy. I have always been a Vizio supporter but was turned off by the upgrades Vizio made. The P-series is basically a monitor not a tv....BUT after I got the ROKU HDR it made it a TV again. Now for the fun stuff. I looked up some basic TV calibration settings after searching I found one that was very detailed and It took this tv from being a Good HDR TV to honestly Better in certain areas than my 940D Sony. This Vizio is Full array so your blacks are dark and your colors Pop! The only thing I wish it did better was just overall brightness. You turn it up too much and it fades the image a bit. Now if you're trying to decided between this and the $3k and $4k 4k tv's i'd suggest you seriously consider this TV. Ask yourself is it really worth the extra $3,000 is most cases? I would say its not even close!!! save the money and buy the wifey or girl friend a nice chicken dinner! Hope it helps! Do you're own research don't let the Sales associate trick into buying the more expensive TV because guess what its not better!

Villeneuve is becoming a director who balances thematic vision, technical genius and powerful performance-delivered emotion in a rarified way--garnering the same respect as Fincher and earlier icons like Coppola and Malick. With 'Arrival', he moved on from grittier fare to high concept effects-laden Hollywood platforms...its a triumph, poetic AND adept enough to tap into the mainstream. From there, Blade Runner and soon, his take on Dune. This film is a turning point in what will be known as a career of 'one of the greats'...well worth your time. Adams et al are wonderful, and it haunts your thoughts after. What more do you want from a film--and scfi/genre in particular.

Arrival on 4K has become one of my favorite movies. Annoyed with all the commercial interruptions when trying to watch the movie on cable TV, I decided to take a chance and bought this 4K disc of Arrival. Not only was the movie so much easier to follow, but the cinematography & sound design greatly enhance the viewing experience. Highly recommended.

Denis Villeneuve has quickly become one of the greatest working film directors today, with his recent sci-fi output, including this film, being genuine masterpieces. This is a smart film that takes both a scientific and emotional approach to its story about language, humanity and how we view/treat each other, and yes, aliens. The performances, writing and effects are as masterful as Villeneuve's approach to the material. However, it should be noted that the Blu-ray, not the UHD, is currently the best way to watch this instant classic. The HDR on the UHD release was not done properly and for many people the film may look terrible - or even borderline unwatchable. The sound and picture on the Blu-ray are no slouch, though, so don't feel you are compromising. If you haven't seen the film and consider yourself a fan of science fiction and dramas, this should be high on your list - even a blind buy is warranted.