Arrival (2016)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve · 116 min · Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery
86.2 TOPICAL score · #187 of 6,776 films
Vote for it on the board →Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
Arrival (2016, directed by Denis Villeneuve) has a TOPICAL score of 86.2 - ranked 187 of the 6,776 films TOPICAL scores. It scores highest on lasting engagement and cast, and lowest on legacy & cult status. It won 4 awards from 12 nominations, including the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing. Critics: 94% on Rotten Tomatoes · 8.4/10 critics' average · Metacritic 81. Audiences: TMDB 7.6/10 (20,016 ratings). Wikipedia covers it in 66 languages.
Why this score
Each bar: better than this % of the 6,776 films we score. How the score works.
- Critics94% on Rotten Tomatoes · 8.4/10 critics' average · Metacritic 81
- AudienceTMDB 7.6/10 (20,016 ratings)
- Awards4 wins, 12 nominations - incl. Academy Award for Best Sound Editing; Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form; National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- ImpactWikipedia articles in 66 languages
- Still read198,942 Wikipedia readers in the last 60 days
Starring: Amy Adams (actor #120), Jeremy Renner (actor #72), Forest Whitaker (actor #179), Michael Stuhlbarg (actor #511)
“In 2025, the film ranked number 29 on The New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century" and number 20 on the "Readers' Choice" edition of the list.”
Wikipedia · read the article - AI legacy read: 8/10