

The film stars Amy Adams as Louise Banks, a professional linguist tasked with unlocking the alien’s language, which they scrawl out in inky circles on the glass dividing their tanks from the opening of the ship. Even the blockbuster scope of Dune will likely share some of the moodiness exhibited so effortlessly in Arrival. His films are story-driven and emotional.

Arrival offers a template for Villeneuve’s abilities as a science fiction director. Based on the 1998 short story "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang, Arrival (2016) was directed by Denis Villeneuve, who leveraged this first big sci-fi success into Blade Runner 2049 and the upcoming Dune (releasing on HBO Max this December).
