Arrival’s Aliens Explained: Language, Design & More

Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival is a puzzle box of a movie that introduces an alien species and uses their language as a narrative device to present intriguing questions surrounding existence and the limitations of language and perception. Based on Ted Chiang’s novella, Story of Your Life, Arrival begins as a typical alien invasion movie, where mysterious aircraft suddenly emerge in 12 different parts of the world. However, with what follows, the film adopts an innovative non-linear narrative to challenge audiences into thinking about philosophical ideas surrounding free will, determinism, and the coherence between the past, present, and future.