ARRIVAL

A sci-fi thriller that tells an entirely different type of alien invasion story – a patient and thought-provoking piece of brilliance from Prisoners and Sicario director Denis Villeneuve. The somehow underrated Amy Adams stars as a linguistics professor given the task of communicating with the otherworldly visitors, giving a subtle and mesmerizing performance that draws the viewer in the longer the film runs, with excellent support from an intimidating Forest Whitaker and a nicely restrained Jeremy Renner who shines even without resorting to his usual uncomfortable intensity. With an ending dripping with mind-altering ideas and themes, Arrival is delicate, profound and genuinely surprising – a movie that lingers long after the credits roll.