For the first time in my Letterboxd career, I’m writing a second review for the same film. A few days ago, some friends and I were talking about Voyager carrying Johnny B. Goode into space, and we wondered: if another probe were sent out with a single film on it, what would it be? My answer is Arrival.
I’ve never seen a science fiction film where the sci-fi elements feel so secondary. At its core, Arrival isn’t about aliens or…