There are many movies that came out in 2016 that I love, but only one that I’m actually thankful for coming out in 2016 specifically, and that would be Arrival. I knew next to nothing about the movie going in save for the fact that it was another alien flick, but I left with a feeling of refreshment and edification that I haven’t felt in a long while. It made me think about the limits and potentials of our ability to learn, and made me question what I would do if I learned the monumental things Amy Adams’ Louise Banks did. So I’m thankful that such a smart piece of speculative science fiction was able to hit the big screen and tackle seriously human themes instead of reveling in the action tropes often tied to alien invasion scenarios. But more than that, I’m thankful for its themes of communication and teamwork being the solution over taking sides and fighting. 2016 had the most divisive, polarizing and contentious political cycles of my life and I kept getting exasperated at how people would rather start fights than conversations with each other. The greatest irony (or tragedy, I suppose) of Arrival is that often it seems Louise Banks is having an easier time communicating with a completely different species than the different governments trying to communicate with each other. But rather than end with a pessimistic or doomsday tone, Arrival delivers a bittersweet, but ultimately optimistic conclusion that when we finally figure out how to stop our bickering and communicate effectively, that’s when problems finally get resolved. I think we can all learn something from that going into the new year. – Alexander Suffolk
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