Diving into the world of science fiction and aliens, Arrival features linguistics professor Louise Banks as she leads an elite team of investigators to unravel the secret of 12 gigantic spaceships scattered around the world. As nations teeter on international panic and war, Banks and her crew must try and find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors, putting her life and humanity’s on the line.
If you enjoy movies with supernatural elements or diving into the world of space travel, check out these six movies like Arrival that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
6. The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Our sixth selection is The Andromeda Strain for our movies like Arrival list. When nearly all of the residents of Piedmont, New Mexico are found deceased after the return of a space satellite, the head of the US Air Force declares an emergency. Enter Dr. Jeremy Stone, an eminent scientist who leads his group of researchers to a secure laboratory facility known as Wildfire.
The group tries to isolate the alien life form and study it, while also trying to figure out why a six-month-old baby and an old wino survived. But, they are unaware the life form has already mutated and presents a huge danger to the lab, and the people inside it.
–IMDb score: 7.2
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5. Ex Machina (2014)
Fifth on our movies like Arrival list is Ex Machina, premiering in 2014 and focusing not on alien life forms and their impact, but AI’s impact on humanity. Caleb, a young programmer, wins the chance to spend a week at a private mountain retreat owned by the CEO of the world’s largest internet company. When he arrives at the remote location though, Caleb realizes he has to participate in a strange experiment where he must interact with the world’s first true artificial intelligence, housed in the body of a robot girl.
–IMDb score: 7.7
4. Moon (2009)
Next is Moon on our movies like Arrival list, focusing on the what ifs in space, and the idea that we are not alone. Astronaut Sam Bell is nearly complete with his three-year shift at a lunar mine where he worked alongside computer GERTY to send back resources to Earth to help alleviate the planet’s power problems. Looking forward to a reunion with his wife and daughter, Sam’s health takes a turn for the worse, bringing on painful headaches and powerful hallucinations. With time running out, Sam must unravel the mystery before the company crew arrives to bring him home.
–IMDb score: 7.8
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3. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Reaching the top three on our movies like Arrival list is Blade Runner 2049, the impressive sequel to the famed 1982 original. Though there is no space or aliens, the dystopian world is a great choice for fans of science fiction films. Thirty years after the original movie, a new Blade Runner, LAPD Officer “K” unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge the rest of society into chaos. K decides to go on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former Blade Runner who has been missing for thirty years.
–IMDb score: 8.0
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2. Interstellar (2014)
Finding its spot at number two on our movies like Arrival list is Interstellar, probably the best science fiction space movie of all time, exploring the possibility of a new world for humans to survive on. The Earth has become inhabitable in the future, with devastating sandstorms ravaging Earth’s crops and draining the world’s food supply. Former NASA pilot Joseph Cooper is asked to go on a daring mission: join a group of scientists and navigate them through a wormhole to find a new planet for humans. Cooper must decide to stay, or risk never seeing his children again to save the human race.
–IMDb score: 8.7
1. Inception (2010)
Last but certainly not least on our movies like Arrival list is Inception, one of Christopher Nolan’s best works focusing on the power of memory and secrets. Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, but not in what you would expect: he deals in the art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state. Cobb has become a coveted player, but also an international fugitive that has cost him everything he’s ever loved.
To get his life back, Cobb and his team must do the impossible by planting an idea instead of stealing one. As a mysterious foe continues to foil them every step of the way, Cobb realizes it is an enemy only he could have seen coming.
–IMDb score: 8.8
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