Best Sci-fi of the Decade Is a 2016 Alien Movie With 94% on Tomatometer

If you think of modern sci-fi gems, which movies do you recall? Maybe it’s Denis Villenueve’s Dune franchise, or Christopher Nolan ’s Interstellar, or you’re a fan of Blade Runner 2049 with our favorite Ryan Gosling, and all these movies are truly perfect.

However, they all can be beaten by the 2016 movie that is not at such a hearing, but still offers an impeccable sci-fi story that somewhat breaks the genre’s canons.

Its plot revolves around Louise, a linguistics professor whose calm life is interrupted by an alien invasion. The point is twelve extraterrestrial crafts land all around the world, and their motives remain unknown, until Louise is recruited to study them.

She teams up with a team of experts to find a way to communicate with the uninvited guests, and the more she learns about aliens, the more she learns about her own life.

You can already guess that we’re talking about another movie directed by Denis Villeneuve that brought him recognition as a sci-fi genius. Indeed, Arrival became a breakout movie both for the filmmaker and for the whole movie genre.

Overall, it received glowing praise for its top-notch direction, acting performances (and the stellar one of Amy Adams is extremely convincing) and for its unique narration.

It’s an alien movie for those who don’t like alien movies at all, it’s a smart and sophisticated flick, but it does a pretty good job of answering all the questions it raises.

“Everything about it is just incredible. The acting, the story, the cinematography and directing. There wasn’t a moment during the film I wasn’t fully invested and interested,” claims Redditor @Successful_Map4660

Of course, Arrival is really reminiscent of much simpler sci-fi films, like Independence Day (1996) or War of the Worlds (2005), but its exploration of communication with extraterrestrial intelligence is what makes you think of it for a long time after watching.

That’s why it can be compared to another sci-fi that is considered to be smart, Interstellar, but Arrival’s drama aspect and twist reveal make it much more rewatchable.

Some fans claim Arrival is the best sci-fi they have ever seen and even the best movie ever made, and it proves that Villeneuve’s gem has already become cultish.

Although it was released 8 years ago, it still holds up in 2024. You can also revise Arrival, as it’s available for streaming on Netflix and Prime.