The movie you are thinking about is called Arrival. It is a science fiction film that came out in 2016 and was directed by Denis Villeneuve. The story centers around a woman named Louise Banks, played by Amy Adams, who is a linguist. A linguist is someone who studies languages and how people communicate. Louise is brought in by the military because something very strange has happened on Earth. Twelve giant egg-shaped alien ships have suddenly appeared in different places all around the world. No one knows why they are here or what they want. People are scared and governments are trying to figure out what to do.
Louise is asked to help because she is one of the best at understanding how language works. She is teamed up with a physicist named Ian Donnelly, played by Jeremy Renner. Together, they go to one of the alien ships, which is hovering above Montana in the United States. When they get inside, they meet the aliens. These aliens are called heptapods because they have seven limbs. They look very different from humans, with long, spindly bodies and multiple arms. They do not speak like people do. Instead, they communicate by making deep, resonant sounds and by writing symbols in the air.
The symbols are very unusual. They are not written in a straight line like English or most human languages. Instead, they are circular and complex, with shapes that look like ink blots or strange drawings. Each symbol represents a whole sentence or idea, not just a single word. Louise starts to study these symbols and tries to figure out what they mean. She and Ian work together to learn the alien language, sharing their findings with other teams around the world who are also trying to communicate with the other ships.
As Louise spends more time with the heptapods and learns their language, something strange starts to happen to her. She begins to have visions. At first, she thinks they are memories of her daughter, who died from a rare illness when she was a child. But as the story goes on, it becomes clear that these are not memories. They are actually glimpses into her future. The heptapods experience time in a completely different way than humans do. For them, time is not a straight line from past to present to future. Instead, they see all of time at once, like a circle or a loop. By learning their language, Louise starts to experience time in the same way. She can see events that have not happened yet, including her own life and the life of her daughter.
This ability to see the future becomes very important as the story unfolds. The world is on edge because of the alien ships. Some countries think the aliens are a threat and want to attack them. There is a lot of tension and fear, and it seems like war might break out. Louise realizes that the aliens are not here to hurt anyone. They have come to Earth to share something very important. Their language is the gift they are offering. By learning it, humans can change the way they see time and understand the world.
Louise uses her knowledge of the future to help prevent a disaster. She remembers something that will happen later and uses it to convince the Chinese general to stand down. She knows what he will say at a certain moment because she has already seen it in her visions. This act helps to calm the situation and stops the world from going to war.
The movie is not just about aliens and language. It is also about communication, understanding, and the choices people make. Louise has to decide whether she wants to live her life knowing what will happen in the future, even if it means experiencing pain and loss. The film explores deep questions about free will, fate, and what it means to be human. It shows how language shapes the way people think and see the world. It also highlights the importance of talking to each other, even when things are scary or confusing.
Arrival is based on a short story called Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang. The movie takes the ideas from the story and brings them to life with stunning visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and powerful performances. Amy Adams gives a moving portrayal of Louise, showing both her intelligence and her emotional depth. The film is slow and thoughtful, with a focus on ideas and feelings rather than action and special effects. It is a movie that makes people think and feel, and it stays with them long after it is over.
