You are listening to The Next Best Picture Podcast, and this is our review of Arrival and our top three segment for our favorite intellectual sci-fi films.

There are days that define your story beyond your life.

Like the day they arrived.

The signs of what might be called first contact, the objects measure at least.

I'm Colonel G.T. Weber for Army intelligence.

Pack your bags.

You're at the top of everyone's list when it comes to translations.

Priority one. What do they want? Where are they from?

You'll be reporting to me, but you'll be working with him when you're in the show. That's what they call him the UFO.

All right, everybody. You were just listening to the trailer for Denny Villeneuve's

latest film, Arrival. The story goes, Louise Banks, played by Amy Adams, is a linguistic professor who leads an elite

team of investigators when humongous spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world.

As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with

the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could

threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind. The cast includes Amy Adams, Jeremy

Renner, Forrest Whitaker, Michael Stoolbarg, and Z. Ma.

As I said before, this film is directed by Denis Villeneuve, who has also directed films such as Prisoners, Sicario, and Incendies.

Let's start it off with you first, Michael.

What did you think of Arrival?

Oh, you're putting me right up first.

So, Arrival, a film that I seem to differ on from a lot of people in the film community right now.

I think it is a very handsomely mounted film.

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