Arrival, Denis Villeneuve's 2016 first contact drama uses its fantastical premise to tell a very human story. Rather than whisking us away to a far off galaxy, the film instead stays close to home and unpacks one of our oldest ‘technologies’: written communication. Arrival analyzes what it really means to understand one another – and how figuring that out could be the only thing that could save us all. This is the Total Take, where we break down the most analyzable films and TV shows of all time through visual storytelling, writing, symbolism, world, and impact. Let’s take a deeper look at Arrival, a film whose messages are more relevant now than ever!

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