Jeremy Renner’s 10/10 Sci-Fi Thriller Masterpiece Is Essential Viewing After Becoming Streaming Smash Hit

Jeremy Renner is known for his appearances in major franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Bourne series, and Mission: Impossible. However, one of his least prominent titles has become streaming’s latest hit. Based on Ted Chiang’s novella Story of Your Life, the Oscar-winning 2016 sci-fi thriller presented a different spin of the “first contact with aliens” concept, and made us realize that our greatest barrier to understanding other intelligent entities might be ourselves.

Yes, Amy Adams Deserved an Oscar for This One

Director Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival tells the story of humanity dealing with what appears to be an alien invasion. Bizarre spaceships have appeared across the planet, but so far, there has been no communication. Authorities summon language specialist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and physicist Ian Donnelly (Renner) to try to come up with a way to communicate with the aliens. After they devise an actual language, Banks understands the intentions of the otherworldly beings, though it completely differs from what she initially imagined.

Upon release, many noted Amy Adams’ performance as one of the best – if not the best – of her entire career. She was nominated for an Oscar, but didn’t walk away with the award — a snub that will go down as the most outrageous in Adams’ filmography. And while Adams’ performance is the centerpiece of the film, Renner is also brilliant.

Ten years later, audiences are revisiting the sci-fi alien-themed epic. Arrival sits among Apple TV‘s most popular titles at the moment; per the latest update of the streaming charts, it’s officially the streamer’s fourth most-watched movie in the U.S. Other sci-fi titles on the list include The Gorge, The Martian, Looper, and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

‘Arrival’ Is a Sci-Fi Streaming Smash Hit (And It’s the One to Watch Before ‘Dune 3’)

Arrival was released in theaters in November 2016 by Paramount. The film quickly earned international acclaim, grossing $203 million against a $47 million production budget. It currently holds a 94% critics’ score and 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it director Denis Villeneuve’s highest-rated project. It made many “top 10 movies of the year” lists, and earned eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Despite only winning Best Sound Editing, it was one of the most discussed movies that year, thanks to Denis Villeneuve’s outstanding execution of sci-fi tropes.

Arrival is an early example of the director’s distinctive approach to the genre. It was his first official step into the world of the impossible – one he continued exploring through Blade Runner 2049 and the Dune franchise. He’s taking a break from sci-fi to make the next James Bond movie, but before that, he’ll further showcase his storytelling prowess with Dune: Part Three.

Despite existing in completely different subgenres, Arrival feels like an essential watch before the conclusion of Dune. They share the unique emotional depth that Villeneuve has delivered again and again when telling powerful human tales set against worlds that are not our own.