Why are they here?|Nov. 10, 2016|USA|116 Min.|PG-13
Genre: 4K-2160p;Drama;Mystery;Science;Fiction
Description: The 2016 film *Arrival* tells the story of linguist Louise Banks, whose daughter Hannah tragically passes away at the age of twelve due to an incurable illness. The plot unfolds when twelve mysterious extraterrestrial spacecraft appear at various locations around the Earth. Nations across the globe dispatch military and scientific teams to investigate these phenomena. In the United States, Colonel Weber recruits Louise Banks and physicist Ian Donnelly to study the craft hovering over Montana.
Inside the spacecraft, Banks and Donnelly encounter two seven-limbed, cephalopod-like aliens, whom they name Abbott and Costello. The pair begins deciphering the aliens’ intricate written language, which consists of circular symbols forming palindromic phrases. As Banks delves deeper into the language, she experiences vivid flashbacks of her daughter.
When Banks finally establishes enough shared vocabulary to ask the aliens their purpose, they respond with a statement that translates to “offer weapon.” China interprets this as “use weapon,” leading them to sever communications, and other nations follow suit. Banks argues that the term “weapon” could more abstractly mean “tool” or “means,” suggesting China’s misinterpretation stems from using mahjong, a highly competitive game, in their interactions with the aliens.
Tensions escalate when rogue soldiers plant a bomb in the Montana craft. Unaware of the threat, Banks and Donnelly return to the vessel, where the aliens deliver a more complex message. Just before the bomb detonates, one of the aliens ejects the pair, leaving them unconscious. When they awaken, the military prepares for evacuation, fearing retaliation, and the spacecraft has moved out of reach.
Donnelly discovers that the symbol for time is prevalent throughout the message and that the writing occupies exactly one-twelfth of the 3D space it’s projected into. Banks deduces that the full message is divided among the twelve spacecraft and that the aliens intend for all nations to collaborate and share their findings.
Cast director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast actor: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tzi Ma, Mark O’Brien, Julia Scarlett Dan, Abigail Pniowsky, Jadyn Malone, Carmela Nozza Guizzo
Original name: Arrival