It had 8 Oscar nominations and has now arrived on Prime Video: the science fiction film that you absolutely have to see.

A ship appears floating over a field in Montana. Another over the Black Sea. And yet another in Sierra Leone. No one knows why they're there, where they came from, or if they pose a threat. What's clear is that science fiction once again shone brightly in theaters when this story first hit theaters. And now, years after conquering festivals, awards, and cinephile hearts, this gem lands on Prime Video.

This is Arrival, the acclaimed feature film directed by Denis Villeneuve, which received eight Oscar nominations and took home the award for Best Sound Editing . But beyond the awards, this film has earned a privileged place among the best of modern science fiction cinema thanks to a premise as powerful as it is emotional.

The story follows Louise Banks , a linguistics expert played by Amy Adams , who is recruited by the U.S. Army after the sudden arrival of twelve alien spacecraft on different parts of the planet. Her mission: to communicate with the newcomers to decipher what they want. But what seems like a translation job turns into something much deeper, when Louise begins to understand their language... and, with it, a new way of perceiving time.

Unlike other films in the genre, which rely on explosions and special effects, Arrival takes an intimate and cerebral approach, focusing on language, memory, and destiny. The script—written by Eric Heisserer—is based on the short story "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang , a cult author of literary science fiction.

One of the most fascinating elements of the film is the visual language created for the aliens, called heptapods . These beings, nicknamed Abbott and Costello by human scientists, communicate through complex circular symbols that condense entire sentences into a single image. The logic of their language—without beginning or end—is closely tied to their vision of time.

Amy Adams ' performance is another of the film's pillars. Although she wasn't nominated for an Oscar (something that still generates debate), her role is key to connecting emotionally with the viewer. Louise Banks is not a conventional heroine, but a woman marked by loss, knowledge, and a decision that defies all logic.

The soundtrack, written by the late Jóhann Jóhannsson , completes an immersive and moving experience. In fact, Arrival was one of the Icelandic composer's last collaborations with Villeneuve, and one of the most memorable, before his death.

The film was also a box office success. It cost around $47 million to make and grossed over $203 million worldwide. Now available on Prime Video, Arrival offers a new opportunity to discover—or rediscover—a work that combines the spectacle of cinema with the depth of a good novel.