Arrival | Teen Ink

Arrival

November 12, 2018
By sabri-miche6 BRONZE, New York City, New York
sabri-miche6 BRONZE, New York City, New York
3 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Denis Villeneuve’s 2016 science fiction film, Arrival, will leave you thinking for hours. This suspenseful, yet puzzling movie is not just any movie; it’s the kind of movie that forces even the brightest minds to strain their brains about what really happened. It is absolutely worth 116 minutes of your time.

Louise Banks (played by Amy Adams) is a linguist that is hired by the United States military to communicate with aliens and answer the big question: Why did they arrive on Planet Earth? She saves the world from complete chaos using the least expected technique: talking. The aliens’ language is different from any language on Earth and also depends on a confusing, nonlinear perception of time. Even though Dr. Banks is able to understand some symbols that they use at first, she must truly experience time the way they do to answer why they have landed on Earth. However, Dr. Banks is not the only one sent to figure out why the aliens arrived on Earth. She has a partner, a scientist named Ian Donnelly (played by Jeremy Renner) that suggests asking them to solve mathematical equations, but his idea is shot down. Dr. Banks makes steady progress on her initial attempts to communicate with the aliens but is soon overwhelmed by stress, triggering flashbacks of her child who had died of cancer in her late teens. Although these flashbacks of her child seem to disturb and distract her, Dr. Banks soon realizes that they help her figure out that the aliens have a different perception of time, which leads her to further discoveries.

While the quality of the acting is the first factor that jumps to the viewer’s attention, the special effects, costumes, and music also have an impact on how the movie is perceived. The movie starts with a narration by Louise Banks, talking about her child’s death with somber background music. The somber music fits well with the situation and causes the viewer to feel more emotional about Dr. Banks’ loss. When Dr. Banks is sent to communicate with the aliens, she is sent to a pod where the aliens appear behind what seems to be a glass wall. The pod has little to no gravity and is frigid, so Dr. Banks has to wear a hazmat suit to protect herself from the extreme temperatures. The hazmat suits they wear are very realistic and well thought-out, like everything else in the movie.

When Dr. Banks is first entering the pod to communicate with the aliens, it is difficult for the viewer to remember that it is just a special effect. It seems strikingly real and even more so when Donnelly, Dr. Banks’ partner who accompanies her to meet the aliens for the first time, stretches his arm and brushes his fingers against the top of it. Another special effect that was very well done in the movie were the spaceships flying above while Dr. Banks walked on Planet Earth. This special effect was extremely well done because, while the spaceship flies, Dr. Banks looks up, and in her eyes is the reflection of the spaceship. This makes the spaceship look very realistic and it makes it seem as if she was actually looking at it.

Arrival by Denis Villeneuve is amazing, unique, and downright confusing. Arrival will cause viewers to strain their brains on what happened but will also give them the excitement of doing so. This once-in-a-lifetime kind of movie is a must-see.


The author's comments:

This piece was for my Creative Writing class and I worked really hard to make it the way it is.


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This article has 20 comments.


shahzada GOLD said...
on Oct. 13 2021 at 1:43 pm
shahzada GOLD, Karachi, Other
14 articles 0 photos 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
Readers are Leaders

It is nicely describe the movie review and fantastic piece of writing.

MauraC BRONZE said...
on Jan. 22 2021 at 6:40 pm
MauraC BRONZE, Haverhill, Massachusetts
1 article 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
Stand up for what is right. Even if it means standing alone.
- Suzy Kassem

This comment section is weird.

espselma said...
on Jan. 21 2021 at 6:25 am
espselma, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
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CloudShiya said...
on Feb. 20 2020 at 10:03 am
CloudShiya, Seabrook, Alabama
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
gucci my coohie

Mcspicy said...
on Feb. 6 2020 at 12:30 pm
Mcspicy, Seabrook, Alabama
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
SHOVE YOUR BEADS AKA ANALBEADS UP MY VINAGAAGQAG

Mcspicy said...
on Feb. 6 2020 at 12:23 pm
Mcspicy, Seabrook, Alabama
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
gag on my bone or my chunky lumpy glue sick

Marcolopez said...
on Dec. 19 2019 at 2:34 pm
Marcolopez, Sacramento, California
0 articles 0 photos 5 comments
this is a good one. is very deep. it's worth voting for this.

on Jun. 8 2019 at 3:34 pm
Roxanna_Foxe SILVER, Anonymous, North Carolina
8 articles 0 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." - Mark Twain

Wow! I love this! Although I love the depth, I do wish there wasn't as much of it. Other than that, beautiful! Definitely voting!

Doge said...
on Feb. 19 2019 at 11:11 am
Doge, Seabrook, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
@dog i am the god of protection there is a full set of diamond armor behind me with protection IV on each stand your ground
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orozeboom22 said...
on Jan. 30 2019 at 5:13 pm
orozeboom22, Roberts, Wisconsin
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
I am not a fan of this review. Not very deep in subject matter or even interesting. Don’t vote for this one!

dog said...
on Jan. 17 2019 at 9:33 am
dog, Tirana, Alabama
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments
also, this is a p good review too, like the way you describe everything so in-depth. needs a bit more commentary though, but that's just my opinion; otherwise it's gucci

dog said...
on Jan. 17 2019 at 9:30 am
dog, Tirana, Alabama
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments
oh god no please no oh god oh h*ck dude please take my diamonds just leave me alone UwU

on Jan. 17 2019 at 9:30 am
ILoveFortniteSoMuch, Sana'a, Other
0 articles 0 photos 13 comments
You utter fool, no one can stop me for i have an enchanted diamond sword with sharpness IV, sweeping edge III, Fire aspect II and looting III. And on top of that i am a brewing master with potions up the wazoo

dog said...
on Jan. 17 2019 at 9:28 am
dog, Tirana, Alabama
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments
You may try, but your efforts are futile.
AWAKEN MY MASTERS
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   /ミ`ー―彡ヽ
  / ヽ_/  |

on Jan. 17 2019 at 9:26 am
ILoveFortniteSoMuch, Sana'a, Other
0 articles 0 photos 13 comments
you batsard ill kill you for saying that, you have disorder my family and my culture. Prepare to perish fool

dog said...
on Jan. 17 2019 at 9:26 am
dog, Tirana, Alabama
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments
fortnite sucks haha xDDDD

apeeke BRONZE said...
on Jan. 12 2019 at 12:14 pm
apeeke BRONZE, Hammonton, New Jersey
3 articles 0 photos 30 comments
I didn't watch the movie, but I can see that it is very good- and you described it very well. Great work!!

on Dec. 3 2018 at 9:41 pm
maryence SILVER, Brooklyn, New York
7 articles 0 photos 1 comment
I love how you explained why you liked the film, instead of just being very vague about it.

Paomivi said...
on Dec. 1 2018 at 11:29 pm
Paomivi, Rego Oark, New York
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
Bravo Sabri ! 👏👏

on Nov. 27 2018 at 6:01 pm
sabri-miche6 BRONZE, New York City, New York
3 articles 0 photos 1 comment
Wow! Thank you everyone for the support!!