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Nikki please react to the new season of The Handmaids Tale September 14th. Thank you for making these videos for us. We love them. The Arrival is one of my favorite movies btw. The Lone Survivor is my all time favorite movie. 🛸
She did not see specific events in the future, she fully aquired the aliens' ability to view time from both ends at once. So she did not simply know about the disease, but about all of her daughter's life, since her memory includes the future. Once you think about it that way all her decisions make sense. She remembers her daughter's entire life before she is even conceived, so choosing not to have her because of the disease would feel the same as killing her. From her perspective this is not really a question of "Would you have a child if you knew they were going to die young of a disease?" as much as it is asking a parent who had a child die young of a disease if they would like to go back and unmake all the life their child had.
I always thought it was the wrong choice, not to tell us what that meant. The general could have told Louise. Such powerful words. Imagine Chang's reaction at that moment.
@@kolo5141 right so someone in the series will meet their past/future or just alternate version of themselves, now I know to anticipate this the twist will probably not hit as hard :/
@@internaut4257 You won't see this, trust me. It' like saying that in Arrival aliens will give something to humanity. You don't know if it's positive or negative. It won't spoil you a surprise.
@@kolo5141 This specific twist in Dark was obvious. There were many other hard hitting and more unexpected reveals though. Also, why spoil things in youtube comments? You evil or something?
One of the best movies I’ve seen. Regarding Louise’s decision to have a baby knowing it was going to die, her logic was that she’d rather have those precious life changing years with her daughter rather than her daughter never existing. With love comes suffering, would you rather have both or neither? Choosing neither would be to reject life itself, I think it’s an amazing message.
The way the movie contrasts her personality and decision to Ian’s is so tragic. When her daughter says to Louise that her dad doesn’t look at her the same way anymore is so heartbreaking. The fact that Louise knew and still decided that the happiness and love were more valuable that the grief and terrible sadness that would follow speaks to the strengh and sensibility of her charater. As Ian is portraied as the more logical and black and white character, he wouldnt accept the happy times with his kid the same way or at all knowing later that she would eventually die.
I mean, I think the answer is self evidently to not have the child. You can argue that she didn't have a choice, that's some people's interpretation of the movie's timeflow, but if you're saying that she had a choice whether or not to have the child, then clearly she should not have had her. I think it's cruel and insane to say otherwise. "Not having a child" is not killing a child. "Having a child you KNOW will die" is killing a child.
She wasn't having visions, she was having memories. Once she learned the alien language, she saw time as no loner linear, but happening all at once. Her daughter was already born, and died, so she had no choice, it had already happened/would happen. She could see every moment in her daughter's life, because those moments weren't gone, they still had real existence. So, although her daughter died, she was also still alive in all these different moments, forever.
My favorite theory with this movie: There's only one ship, that just happens to be in 12 different places at once. 12 locations * 90 minutes = 18 hours, which is the interval.
I can see that. I was good working out how to live in an eternal nonlinear lifespan, and I was good with imagining "space travel" was just the Heptapods visiting that part of their visit to Earth (which explains why they just dissipate when they leave), but working out the coordination to the 12 different locations (which sounds like dipping back into linear time) gives me a headache. My consciousness/intellect just hit a brick wall it cannot pass through...
Okay, this is absolutely brilliant. It all makes complete sense since the heptapods don't live their lives in linear time like we do on Earth: they had to figure out a way to temporally transpose themselves into our plane of linear existence in order for them to be able to communicate with us. Wow. Mind blown. Thanks for sharing this!
It's not the aliens that helped her see the future w the child it's simply their language.. Like ian said once u learn a language u start thinking w that language and the aliens' language is non-linear (u can perceive the future w it) that's why the more she learned that language the more she started having visions... And that first scene the movie starts with with her daughter and all was just the movie being told from a non linear perspective too, they showed us the end at the beginning... That is the brilliant of Denis Villeneuve.
@@genzai exactly... that is exactly what the heptapods' gift/ tool is.. To teach humanity their language so that they can perceive the future and see that threat that those heptapods are gonna face in 3000 years and figure out a solution to help them!!
@@aexothicc yeah, it's the same concept Arthur Clarke used in 2001. An evolutionary push by an alien species. I love this type of movies. I wonder if Ian acquired the gift after Hannah was born and realized what her future was, he could not handle his loss. While at the same time, Louise chose to focus on Hannah's life instead.
This movie will always have a huge place in my heart. The song that they play during the scenes with her daughter is called, “On the nature of Daylight”. My fiancée and I lost our daughter at 7 months in 2008 and a nurse provided us with some comforting words about how her brief time in our lives allowed us to grow our hearts and the love we showered her with meant that she mattered and will always matter. She played this song for us and when this movie came out and the story line of the movie unfolded for me I cried so hard because it was almost the exact same kind of question. Would you have her knowing that you would lose her? I would still say yes knowing what I know.
So sorry to hear about your loss, I know nothing that a stranger on the internet can say can make the pain go away, but I just wanted to say what I would want to hear in that situation. As far as you saying that you would still choose to have her, knowing what you know now, I agree. Of course, I can only speak for myself, and the choice I would choose in my particular situation. I can totally understand those who would choose the other way. It's far from black and white. My stepdaughter died young (though not as young as Hannah here) because of a problem with her heart that she had from birth. Even so, she was such a joyful part of so many lives I couldn't imagine having the choice to go back to stop it. (Not that I could have like I said step-daughter but the point still stands :) ) When you've seen that your child is going to be loving and loved, and you know that she will make your life better, but there will be pain and loss in the end, I would not be able to deny them that. That being said, I'm not the one who would have to make that impossible choice ultimately, As a Dad. I just couldn't imagine giving up a love you've already experienced. That's the main difference between the movie choice and any philosophical debate.
I'm so sorry you and your fiancee lost her. I cannot imagine that kind of loss. I agree with what that nurse told the both of you. Her life, however brief it was, mattered to you both. Her life mattered to you. I believe that wherever those memories your daughter kept of both of you, wherever those memories still exist, they live on in the ethereal: in that spiritual collective far away from the lives we live, far from our linear, materialistic existence. Someday, somehow, I know you will all find each other again.
I'm so sorry for your loss but so grateful for your courage and your answer. I've cared for dying children almost 30 years. I tell parents that for me, I've come to realize that children that die young are more like angels and that their child was very fortunate to have such loving parents. ...that angels come here for a reason that is probably known only to their family, to do something and/or teach us something. They return to heaven after this is done. They live on in our hearts and memories - waiting for when we return to heaven as well.
On a second watch this movie is a whole new experience. Once you understand that the flashbacks aren't flashbacks, and that she now sees her whole life as NOW, it makes her actions take on so much more significance. The idea that you think differently when you learn another language is absolutely true. I have learned 5, and they all change your perspective. This movie is among my very favorite films. Especially because it isn't about fighting aliens, it's about learning and perspective. So well done.
That is impressive Bil. I’m jealous of bilingual people let alone someone who speaks 5. Good for you. Two of my kids are bilingual. I’m learning Spanish but it’s taking a while. I’m older so I don’t have a ton of extra time or energy
@@kevinwheesysouthward9295 I moved my whole life, all over the world (dad was in the military) so I had a lot of learning just to speak to the locals. I'd say it's a lot easier when you're young, and honestly I've forgotten most of it.
@Levi Peterken I mean that she isn't seeing time the same way. There isn't a past or a future the way we experience it anymore for her. The past is happening, and the future is happening, and she is seeing all of it. Not in some chaotic way that makes no sense, but in a way that allows her to browse all the moments of her life like a memory with perfect recall. Everything is now, not then. It's all the same to her as the present is to you and me.
It's worth noting that the Heptapods knew English just fine in advance of coming to Earth- they were very patient so Louise could learn their way of thinking. It was all about Louise. SUCH a masterpiece. Definitely worth watching several times.
I want to see the movie of who taught the Heptapods English. I imagine another alien race needs the help of heptapods in 6000 years but they won't be around unless humanity helps heptapods in 3000 years. So they teach Heptapods English to help humanity, so humanity helps them so they can help the aliens who taught them English...omg I am dizzy.
They wouldn't have known English unless they came to Earth and learned it from Louise. Although they "knew" it, they still had to actually go there and learn it at some point in time.
yeah, they knew because she taught them. like how Abbott knew he was going to die there, but went anyway. but with the little detail that he always arrived second.
I never realized this and I feel stupid, this movie is insane. Of course they knew the language just like how Louise knew the phone number and what to say to the Chinese leader.
It’s so funny that the majority of the time Nikki & Steven thought the aliens were a massive threat just based on how they looked lol it perfectly ties into the rest of the world assuming they had ill intentions. The aliens were the one to put a glass barrier between themselves and humans, the aliens chose not to disturb even a blade of grass when they arrived, but solely because of what they look like everyone assumes the worst, it’s sad
Not even just from how the aliens looked. People have been brainwashed by all those movies where any alien was automatically the bad guy. So that's what they now expect from a movie about aliens. There was one other movie that showed that it was not the aliens to be the bad guys, but the humans. It's called: "The day the Earth stood still", from 1951, although there also is a remake from 2008 or so. Very different, but also within these lines is the wonderful movie: "Enemy Mine" form 1985.
I think the key to understanding is to let go of the concept of “the future” etc. learning the alien’s language allowed Louise to perceive her entire timeline simultaneously instead of in a linear way that terms like the future and the past would apply to. It was all a singular event for her by the end.
Such a gorgeous film!!! BTW, to answer Steven's question at the end....They get divorced because she didn't tell him that she knew....SHE decided to go ahead with having a child with him but did not tell him what she knew the future to be. I'm not judging her - who knows what decisions we'd make if we didn't think of time as linear -- but that had to have hurt him, no?
The thing is a lot of people are still perceiving time as linear when they talk about her , when she is not experiencing that , she is seeing the future ,past and present all at the same time simultaneously, she could see when she was born to when she is going to die at the same time , I don’t think she has a choice to alter the future ,just like we can’t alter the future , the only difference is that she can see the future ,past and present at the same time .
That's one of the points, once you see time non-linearly, you no longer have choice at all. Because all those choices have already been made in the future by you, to arrive at the future outcome you see, which hasn't happened yet but has to happen...because you saw it. But did it happen because you made it happen in the future, or does you seeing you made it happen in the future in the past what leads you to do what you know you do in the future. See the problem? You're asking for the question after you know the answer, so what does the question matter at that point, the answer will still be the same. And here's the real mindfuck...how do you know this is the FIRST TIME you've done any of this? How do you know you're not constantly retroactively creating your past from the future, or the future from the past?
@RobertMorgan -- I don't think this is right. Perceiving time non-linearly doesn't eradicate choice. She can change the future. She even asked Ian if he knew it would he change it. She chose to embrace it. Had she walked away from Ian her daughter would not have been born. This movie doesn't say that the future is all determined and there is no choice. Her perception of it is not something physically set in stone. Just like how the ship near her camp moved higher off the ground after the bomb, it wasn't set in stone for Abbot and Castello either. Their perception of the future could change too.
I appreciate how realistically everything played out, so far as the reactions of humanity and the politics involved. There was a grand scheme but it wasn't fantastical or exaggerated, it felt very grounded in what could actually happen if a non-humanoid race of aliens ever made contact with us on such a wide scale. It was so believable, it made me frustrated and angry over certain events (like the rogue soldiers' attack on the ship). Imo this movie is one of the greatest sci-fis ever made.
Did you guys get the ending? By mastering their language she accessed “time ubiquity” as in seeing all points in time simultaneously, so she knew if they had a daughter she’d die from an illness. She told him, but only after she was already having her. She knew they’d have to experience the loss of their daughter and made that choice for both of them
@Ogami That's my thinking, too. Ian's contention though was that she made "the wrong choice." If she had told him before they conceived, would he have done it anyway? They separated over her decision not to disclose until it was too late, so it's certainly possible. So there's something of a deception there on her part. Or an inevitability to her choice there, if Hannah must have been born no matter what.
@@brandonjuno I think "the wrong choice" is that she told Ian what was going to happen. Once she did that Ian could no longer look at his daughter the same and it poisoned his feelings towards her. It could be either.
Yeah I agree with that one person, Annihilation is a must watch, especially if you got Dolby vision/hdr and Atmos. The visuals and sound design are amazing! Trippy
Arrival is #1 for me, Interstellar is definitely top 5. Great recommendation. (Not that anyone's interested, but my top 5 is rounded out by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Jojo Rabbit, and Inside Out; the order varies depending on my mood!)
Isn’t every life valid? My youngest son is the most loving and most gentle person I know. He has a severe chronic mental illness that developed when he was 21, The last seven years has been excruciating watching his struggle with it. If I had known before I had him this would happen, would I have chosen to have him? Can any parent save their child from heartbreak or illness? Don’t we all get sick, feel pain, die? I don’t know what the right answer is, all I know is that I can’t imagine a world where he does not exist and where his experience cannot help someone else going through the same thing. Isn’t life about experiencing it, not trying to perfect it?. My son’s life matters. It may be a challenging one, but how selfish would I have been to erase him from ever existing and touching the lives he has touched? In this movie she chooses to experience life, to let fear go and love it no matter the pain she would eventually experience. Nothing can save us from pain but we can definitely choose to hide away from feeling joy, no matter how fleeting. How much sadder would that be?
I'm so glad someone made a movie like this. One of my biggest questions has always been communication with an alien civilization. How would we if one ever arrived? The screenwriters really layed it out in such a great way storywise. It would be a challenge if it were to come to pass.
The implication seems to be that the future _can't_ be changed. The Heptapod language allows you to experience time non-linearly, with no difference between present, future and past (otherwise you wouldn't be able to write or understand it properly), but that doesn't mean you can change the future any more than you can change the past. The Heptapods (and anyone who learns their language) are like the Tralfamadorians in _Slaughterhouse-Five,_ though maybe less fatalistic. _"So it goes."_ Even though you already know the "twist", you might still enjoy Ted Chiang's short story _Story of your life,_ on which this film is based (published in his anthology _Stories of your life and others_ ); it's as good as the movie if not better (and the rest of the stories in the book are also great).
The point is that if she desided to dont have baby that that future would be different. But we sees the future and we know FROM BEGINING that she desided to have Hannah.
@@joelf634 I think you misunderstood. There is no decision on her part. The alien language teaches her that time isn't linear. It is essentially overlapping; the past, present and future happen simultaneously. Her daughter ALWAYS lives and ALWAYS dies. But because she understands the perspective of the aliens, though her daughter is also dead, her daughter is also alive and there is peace in that. Nothing could have changed that.
I think the implication is that the future is changed by learning the language because it gives the being that knows the language full knowledge of everything they will ever learn after learning the language. (i.e. because our MC was able to know and say things that she couldn't have possibly known in the present.)
@@mashzapotato That doesn't imply any changes to the future, though; she was always going to learn the language, she was always going to call general Chang and convince him, she was always going to write the book, and humanity was always going to help the Heptapods in three thousand years, which is why they travelled to Earth to teach us their language and ask for help, even though it meant Abbot's death. (This doesn't mean that causality stops working, mind, though it _might_ change the order of cause and effect from the point of view of someone who experiences time linearly; humanity will help the Heptapods _because_ they came here and taught us their language; general Chang trusted Louise _because_ she knew his wife's dying words, and she knew them _because_ he'd tell them to her in the future; causality still works, if sometimes not in the order we're used to... but that doesn't mean things could have happened any different; they _have_ to happen this way, because that's how they happened in the past and / or will happen in the future, which, from the perspective of someone fluent in Heptapod are one and the same.)
I saw this film shortly after losing my fiance before we were going to get married. It made me confront the very same question. Knowing what I know would happen, would I still re-live the same experience. Every person takes a risk when they choose to get into a relationship. Every parent takes a risk when they decide to have children. We can have them for a whole lifetime or a short moment, but the time spent makes all the difference and that's what pushes you to make the leap. The same leap Louise made when she chose to risk her life to save the world from war and to have Hannah. Great reaction.
I just watched this movie for the second time ever tonight. Several years after seeing it for the first time in theaters. It's so much better on the long delayed second watch because you have a general memory of what's happening. You see everything in a different way rewatching it. The craft that went into this movie is mind boggling. The way she is learning a language and it's being shown to us visually... it's remarkable. The fact that they figured out a way to make a general audience understand that someone is learning a language through time where time itself is the language. She starts out just getting flashes and that's like when we first start learning the very basics of a language. Then she's more involved in those flashes just like how we become able to have short conversations. And then eventually she's fully interacting and gaining information from those flashes of time which is us starting to master a language.
My personal favorite film of all time. And as someone else mentioned in the comments, watching the film again with the knowledge of knowing what happens, is a completely different experience. And it will allow you to notice things like all of the linear items in the frame (chairs, books, patio seams, etc), and then the circular nature of things around Louise (her classroom desks, etc). Simply stunning.
Definitely one of my top Denis Villeneuve movies and within my top 20 all time. Such a well crafted story that doesn't fall into the typical "Alien vs Humanity" tropes. Great reaction from the two of you! What if having Hannah was necessary to help the future even though her child dies? Perhaps that even during the time that Hannah was alive, her life still left an impact that would affect the future. Damn I love movies that keep you thinking.
Absolutely agree with your take on Hannah helping save humanity (or actually her experience of Hannah) as Louise searches her mind for clues and answers to the task at hand. Master storytelling and cinematography, brilliant direction and superb acting. This movie had the whole package.
I also loved when Chris Stuckmann walked out confused after the movie, then his wife told him which memory were in order, I was totally effin blown away when the chinese prez told her the line that made him step down from attacking them, and she also found that out herself!
I think it's interesting that you noticed her house in the beginning. While nice and expensive, it's sterile, lonely and isolated. Not a warm homestead like the "flashbacks" at the very beginning. A very subtle hint at the ending twist.
The misunderstanding of the word "kangaroo" is how Canada got it's name. This next bit is a copy paste from a Canadian government web site. The name “Canada” likely comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata,” meaning “village” or “settlement.” In 1535, two Aboriginal youths told French explorer Jacques Cartier about the route to kanata; they were actually referring to the village of Stadacona, the site of the present-day City of Québec. For lack of another name, Cartier used the word “Canada” to describe not only the village, but the entire area controlled by its chief, Donnacona. The name was soon applied to a much larger area; maps in 1547 designated everything north of the St. Lawrence River as Canada. Cartier also called the St. Lawrence River the “rivière du Canada,” a name used until the early 1600s. By 1616, although the entire region was known as New France, the area along the great river of Canada and the Gulf of St. Lawrence was still called Canada. Soon explorers and fur traders opened up territory to the west and to the south, and the area known as Canada grew. In the early 1700s, the name referred to all French lands in what is now the American Midwest and as far south as present-day Louisiana. The first use of Canada as an official name came in 1791, when the Province of Quebec was divided into the colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. In 1841, the two colonies were united under one name, the Province of Canada.
Love this film. Such a grounded/down-to-Earth/realistic way of handling of such a situation, then there's the awesome time-twisting. So many great -Whoa!- moments, when you understand things (Like the Hexapods knew _exactly_ what was going to happen (& when) with the humans, before they even arrived). Time as non-linear: Imagine your entire life is on the edit/timeline bar. Rather than being stuck watching everything from start to finish, you can jump to any point in your story by choosing a point.
I'm so glad you two liked this one, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to re-watch one of my favorites along with new eyes. Nikki got me crying all over again 😭😭😭 I LOVE the discussions that this film brings up, Arrival is SO GOOD!!!
If you had the memories of your entire life, from birth to death, in your mind right now, what would you do with that knowledge? Would you try to change anything? Could you change anything? How would you live your life knowing all the joys and sorrows that have happened and would happen, but you know all of that right now? That is the question posed by this movie. It is a really trippy thing to consider.
One of my favorite movies. She choose to still go through the journey of loving someone even though she knew she’d lose Hannah. Very hard decision to make but I think this is such a BRILLIANT masterpiece and absolutely beautiful.
Yeah this story is mind boggling. She knew the journey, and it was worth taking so she took it. Her daughter was worth knowing. Also remember, they knew what was coming... so they knew Abbott's fate before they came. They chose to come. She chose to give her daughter a happy life, sure it ended too soon, but she made the choice to be happy, to have her husband be happy, to have her daughter be happy, and cherish every minute. If I told you you'd meet an alien and become immortal you would know that you'd outlive everyone... would you not want to make the most of every moment with your family or whatever makes you happy? Even if you knew that being immortal everyone else would die while you go on.
One of my all time favorite movies it's abit of a doozy but in a perfect way, so glad you finally got to watch this masterpiece. Amy Adams is a PHENOMENAL actress. huge shame on the academy for not giving her an Oscar yet.
I'm a parent of two young kids and I have two and a half decades of communications experience. This movie is a love letter to both, and I had chills the whole way through. I loved the way her memory is fragmented, and it makes a lot of sense. Try to remember what happened on this day 10 years ago. If it was a major event, you may remember the big details, but the little ones like who said what and when, etc, will likely be lost or very hazy. It gets hazier the farther out it is. As she learned more of their language, she remembered further and further into the future, but her memory wasn't perfect, so little details would pop in (as they often do when we try to remember things), like the "non-zero-sum game" revelation. Such a brilliant movie!
This film is one of my favorites, not only because of the production, the photography and the sound design, but the story, it is so well made, and the moment you understand her decision, even knowing how everything was going to happen, deciding to have the daughter, broke me completely.
It's cute how nervous they both are watching this movie for the first time because I remember feeling the same way waiting for the other show to drop with the aliens. But they turn out to be more peaceful than humans
This movie is not so much about the aliens. It's about us and how we react to the unknown. We usually call it alien 'invasion'. The word itself gives away our presupposed position. And it is a position of vulnerability, uncertainty and fear. But, we can never now when, and firstly - if - aliens Arrive, what it is going to be like. I have a favorite quote from favorite sci-fi authors: “Xenology* is an unnatural mixture of science fiction and formal logic. At its core is a flawed assumption-that an alien race would be psychologically human.” * - (chiefly in science fiction) the scientific study of alien biology, cultures, etc. We can be prepared for the worst, yes, but not immediately act as if it is already happening. Love this movie! My all time favorite so far :D Pure joy to see you reacting to it and loving it!
And, to add to the debate in the end if she had a choice or not. The aliens knew that in 3000 years they will need our help. Wouldn't they be able to then change something so that it doesn't come to it? Or is their arrival here a change in their story that will otherwise give them a chance to survive an inevitable demise?
The visions were also memories. She deeply loved a child that didn't exist. She also mourned the loss of a child that didn't exist. She knew the pain that would come. She chose that path anyways cuz it was worth the experience for her. Life would be full of love and purpose. The gift was the ability to fully appreciate every moment and making meaningful choices in life while knowing all the good and the bad that comes with each choice. By choosing not to have a child also meant she would still mourn and be hurt, by not having such beautiful and heartbreaking experiences that make life truly worth savoring. And if humanity can learn this language, what a wonderful and rich life we would all live and share. Beautiful movie.
One of my favorite movies of all time. Grand in scope, yet minute and subtle. Quiet, and loud all at once. Personal and Ranging in its story. The amazing plot twist. But most importantly the beautiful themes and messages it leaves you with. It’s why it stuck with me ever since I watched it. The question is asks, “How would you react if you knew everything that was gonna happen to you? How would it affect you? Would you embrace it or would it consume you?” And the beauty of living for the beautiful moments we get to have in our lives with the people we love, a smile, a laugh, a hug. I’m tearing up writing this. This movie is just so outstanding in what it accomplishes, and the power of that message resonated with me ever since I watched it. I feel all your emotions here Nikki. The larger discussion this movie brings about, yet the internal personal questions it makes you ask yourself, albeit uncomfortable, is also beautiful at the same time. Can’t say enough great things about this masterpiece. Not to mention Denis Villenueve’s masterful direction, brilliant writing, and the enchanting score. Great reaction Nikki and Steven ❤️
I also thought for a long time that no, I would not have a child that would die. Then I realized that not having the child meant that instead of a short life, the person you loved so dearly would never get to exist or have a life at all. It is such a tough one, and there are no right, or even good, answers....
I think its so interesting how humans whenever we meet something that is as smart as us like humans or beyond we always think in aggressive manner even though their is no reason for us to think this no matter how intelligent or intimidating they may seem also humans always think of what a person or thing could do to harm u but if we put that aside we could all come together as life and explore and research everything the universe offers but sadly this may never happen because how we think and our nature for understanding
What I love about this movie is that it's very much in the spirit of a lot of classic science fiction writing. Movies tend to go for action adventure, but often miss on something a bit deeper.
Would you have a child, knowing your child would die? Would you refuse to give love, and receive love, because you would experience pain in addition to joy? All who live, will one day die. To reference Shakespeare, is it better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all? Is there life after death? Would you see your daughter in the next life? All tough questions.
@@afrodemon8629 Quite the opposite I think. Individually, most people are generally good. It's groups of people with an ideology that you have to watch out for. People who _think_ they have god on their side.
It’s interesting that you instantly perceive the aliens as a threat. I love that Louise approaches the project purely academically, not making assumptions about the aliens without evidence.
I’m honestly surprised that in all the first contact movies that have ever been made that it took until this masterpiece of a movie to show how difficult it would actually be to learn each other’s languages. Also the scene when they first meet the heptapods is still one of the most heart pounding scenes I’ve ever scene.
Arrival feels like a Christopher Nolan film. Understanding that time is just an illusion and writing a creative narrative around that notion. Very underrated movie! Nikki always seems to have the twist instict.
This movie is absolutely amazing. And Amy Adams acting?? I wanted her to get the Oscar that year. Like, once you see and understand the movie, then it becomes obvious what they were all those feelings that she was expressing. And in rewatch, you get everything. She did a phenomenal job
So hilarious and fun to watch you two puzzling over those "flashbacks" until that slow-burn "eureka" moment, and the gears started spinning fast with the realization and reappraisal of everything you saw up until that point. Much of the emotional punch and sustain this film generates pours directly out of Jóhann Jóhannsson's score which won many awards and coalesced in a novel way. (Jóhannsson also scored "Sicario" and "Prisoners")
The first time i finished watching this movie i was speechless. I had to process a lot of things - the whole plot, the finale, the choices main characters had to make. I felt sad, a bit devastated yet happy that i happened to watch this masterpice. Also, the soundtrack in this movie is TOP-NOTCH! It simply immerses you in the movie settings and adds more depth to it. Love it!
In 1997,I witnessed a large white, rectangular Ufo in Nevada. It changed my life. Now every time I'm outdoors, I scan the sky. Day or night. Since then, I've seen many other things in the sky,all shapes and sizes. This may sound crazy to some, but that's the reality that I live in now. And yes,there is no history of mental illness in my family.
This and Contact... ...the only movies that say the future still has hope, it still has promise. I hope these movies make me cry because that hope has beauty and not that we have lost that promise and all hope is lost.
This movie BLEW MY MIND the first time I saw it. This is a MUST re-watch. Once you know the "twist" it actually gets _so_ much better because you realize how many clues they drop. As opposed to movies that just put a twist in for the sake of a twist (*cough* M. Night Shyamalan *cough*), this one is truly shocking and truly makes the film better. Also, Amy Adams' performance is spectacular! The first time through (you may not consciously realize it) her acting seems _off_ because you think she's reacting to flashbacks. Once you find out it's the future it's a moment of OH SHIRT! Suddenly it all makes sense.
By far the most “accurate” depiction of an alien species, as in not bipedal with just weird skin. If alien life exists it’s mosty likely a form we aren’t anticipating
@@genghisgalahad8465 and it seems this kind of alien is terrifying to some - I fking love it. It’s an acceptance of the fact we don’t know everything. We barely know anything
When I moved down to Argentina and I started learning their language, I started to dream in Spanish. Ultimately after I somewhat mastered it, I noticed that I thought and acted differently when speaking Spanish, or for that matter any other language. I feel I use a different part of my brain and process things differently from English.
So glad to see your reaction to this movie - I absolutely love 'Arrival'. It's beautifully shot and the score is wonderful. It's so very different from the 'typical' alien movie and I really adore the underlying message. Wonderful reaction. :)
The revelation that her child will die is a symbolic representation of the existential Maternal Sacrifice, just like Michelangelo’s Pieta. Every mother’s child will face the harsh world at some point, if mothers were to always protect their child, then they would only weaken and corrupt their own child. A good mother faces her fear and necessarily fails to protect her child knowing that this will strengthen and ennoble them. Dr. Banks faces her inevitable sorrow head on like the strong woman she is. I think the message here is that its better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all. Love watching you guys, can’t wait to see whats next!
She has choice. She saw a happy child and didn't want that person to not live that life (brief as it was). You could easily argue that denying that life would be selfish. She could avoid that pain by avoiding having a child - that would be about her and her alone. Abbott came to Earth knowing that it would die, but only if it acted. It's deep $#!+
Yeah, a short happy life is better than no life at all. Also, every single child dies at some point during its life. It's inevitable. So yeah, denying that whole life based on the knowledge that the kid will die at some point, just to avoid your own grief, seems selfish to me. Besides ... you would constantly live with the grief of thinking about what could have been, so nothing is avoided anyway. ;)
No. She did not have a choice. If she wouldn't have had the child that future would not have existed and she would not have seen it. She would have seen the future of her not having a child. The future she sees has its own past and those future events depend on the actions of that past. To somehow choose not to continue on the path to that future would result in paradox. You saying see had a choice is the same as saying that you choose to walk up a wall. You may choose to do so but there is a natural law in place that prevents you doing so. Same in this scenario.
@@Trainwheel_Time It was established in the movie how the alien language had affected her. She didn't see the future, she saw time as a whole - that does not mean back to the future logic works. She has choice and knows what she will choose at once. It's why Ian was mad at her. He knew that she had a choice.
@@Jigsaw407 No, a short happy life with a lot of pain is not better than no life at all. Because if you don't exist, you don't suffer. She was selfish.
The story explains the real-life principle that learning certain kinds of new languages actually re-wires your brain, because language isn't just words, it's ideas. For example, German is a language full of subtle philosophical concepts and learning German actually makes you think more philosophically (hence why so many famous philosophers were German -- Hegel, Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, etc.), and French is a very emotion-filled and romantic language (it has ten different words for different kinds of "love") and learning it makes you feel a wider range of emotions. Here, the alien's language perceives time differently, so learning it enabled Louise to see through time the way they do.
This whole film is a masterpiece! The storytelling, the score, and the amazing concept are mind-blowingly good. The soft opening narration over the heartbreaking story gets me every time. 😭I loved that this was such a different movie than other alien sci-fi flicks I've seen. As you said, it is a big-brain concept. There is so much more in-depth research that you get to see, discussing language and how on earth you try to develop a way of communicating with an alien being. And the unfurling reveal at the end gives me goosebumps. Just amazing! So glad you guys enjoyed this. It is definitely worth multiple viewings! ~Caroline
Besides all the technical aspects and the great performances, what truly strikes me is that they wrote this script based on a 46 page story. It's more than an adapted screenplay, in my opinion. The fact they were able to expand on such an already dense topic is incredible.
When the things started to connect in this film I was like a little child enjoying a toy during christmas, it was so amazing and emotional at the same time. The film is literally streamed backwards, cause we do get the consequences straight from the beginning just to find out what were the causes leading up to the moment. Very nice concept and definitely one of the better alien sci-fi films in the genre
I just absolutely love everything Amy Adams stars in. You guys should consider watching Sharp Objects on HBO starring her. It's a great mini series, lots of twists and turns and an amazing plot. Love you guys, you are amazing!
Such a good reaction I had to come back and watch it again. For a film about language, get this: the filmmakers used the "language" of film - the flashback - to trick us that we were seeing events of the past, when in reality they were things she was seeing that hadn't happened yet. So they used the "vocabulary" of movies that we the audience know - how *we interpret* cutting to shots of events from another time and place - to support the big twist.
I know that this is years later, but I really appreciated the discussion the two of you had at the end of this reaction. I think that is the hallmark of good art; something that challenges you to think and see the world in a new way, whether you agree with the message or not. To me, this is a fantastic film because it so beautifully tells a non-linear story.
One of my favorite pastimes is showing friends movies I love and seeing their reactions. Sadly I don’t get to do that often thanks to a busy, and somewhat unpredictable, work schedule. Watching you two dissect films is a little nugget of escapism for me in my busy, day-to-day life. At the risk of being forward, who is Hannah?
I would really recommend watching DARK as another time travel show. Watch it in the original German as well. It's on Netflix and only 3 seasons of I think 28 episodes.
"I wonder if there's keys or tells..." Literally the opening narration. And i'd say no, Louise didn't have a choice, in the way that you're thinking of it. SHE seems to think there was a choice, since she asks that question about "If you knew..." But she already made the choice, in the so-called future. For this story to make any sense at all, you have to accept the idea that time is not linear---that what we think of as past, present, future, all exist simultaneously. If that is true, then the events of that perceived-future have already taken place, in their own time. Therefore i think it would be impossible for her to make a different choice, because it already happened. Unless we're talking about multiverses, but that's a whole other can of worms... Excellent film, one of my favourites, and great reactions from you guys as always.
I love this movie so much. As soon as I saw that you guys were watching it live I was really sorry I couldn't tune in to watch Nikki's reactions to Hannah's storyline. Amazing film. When you look at how Denis Villenueve directed this film, then "Blade Runner 2049", and then "Dune: Part One" all in a row ... holy shit what a trifecta, soon to be a grand slam with "Dune: Part Two" (and that doesn't even include the amazing films he did before this).
This film is definitely rewatchable! You really see the aliens differently knowing they are the good guys. I actually think they are kind of cute. So Ian leaves when Hannah is about 7ish because Louise told him what was going to happen. My theory is that he was learning the language and he started having visions of her sickness and eventual death. So she would have confirmed his visions and he felt betrayed.
Amazing movie indeed! If you love a well done slow burn with great twists... dive into the show "Dark" on Netflix (though highly recommend watching it in original language, German, with English subtitles... the dubbed version isn't great.) It's only 3 seasons with 8 to episodes each. I'd think you would greatly, greatly enjoy it and your minds will be blown! You need to pay attention though, it's not holding your hands necessarily. Talking about complicated storytelling... but in a good way without spoiling anything.
Re-watching is amazing with how many really strong hints there are in the movie, that you just don’t ever get watching through the first time. The quote Ian reads to her when they first meet about language being a weapon, just so many clues.
i dont think Louise had a choice. her daughter's life happens, that is why she can recall it. Ian doesnt understand which is why he gets angry and leaves. if Louise had the choice, it would be pretty messed up to force Ian to go through all the pain and suffering of losing a child. Also, if the future could be changed, why wouldnt Abbott avoid dying in that explosion? Why wouldnt the aliens just abduct Louise and teach her what she needed to know instead of revealing themselves to the whole world the way they did? i think the most tragic part of this movie is that Ian thinks that Louise forced him into having to lose a child and that he couldnt understand that it was always going to happen. excellent reaction!!! this is the best scifi movie ever imo.
First, let me say that I am in NO way suggesting you are wrong. My thoughts on the matter are, "these are memories of the path you are on now," but doesn't mean you cannot change paths and create different memories. As for Abbott, I believe that a race of beings that know nothing other than non-linear time might not even have a concept of free will.
@@OCDCentral very true, those aliens may not have a concept of free will...so does that mean Louise lost her free will in this movie since she now perceives time as they do? to understand where i am coming from, imagine time as a 4th spatial dimension. in our 3 spatial dimensional world we can move up and down, left and right, forwards and backwards. it is easy for us to understand how things move and interact in a 3 dimensional space. now imagine stepping out of the time dimension. you would be able to see how things were, how they are now, and how they will be for all time. this line of thinking does kill the idea of free will. i for one, like the idea of free will. i would love to go back and live my life again with the knowledge i have now for better or worse (hopefully, mostly for the better!!!) but in reality, i have to embrace the life i have lived. sadly, we cant know if there is really 'free will' because we are stuck in this temporal dimension. thats the beauty of this movie. if we had the choice, we could choose to embrace the joy in our lives, and that tragedy reminds us how important that joy is. Thank you for responding!!! i hope i dont come off as arrogant. my position could be totally wrong. im not trying to prove my position is the only correct one. i just dont like the idea of Louise being selfish!!!
@@danielbrooks5585 No arrogance assumed, just friendly discussion. My thought is that if one could know what will happen at xyz+T that they could choose different xyz coordinates to be at, changing the memories of what comes after. Example: I need to go to place A and place B. I know I leave my house and go to A first and will die in a car wreck. My assumption is that having known the concept of free will for most of my life, I can decide to go to B first, or nowhere at all. The moment this decision is made, my memories of the future now reflect what comes after having made this new decision. I did make another post about which would be more selfish for Louise. Would it be more selfish to allow Hannah to live and love and exist for a short time, or for Louise to save them both the pain of Hannah living and dying by not having her? I do not have an easy answer for that.
Re-watching it after 6 years, makes a lot more sense now. At release, I wasn't impressed, if not disappointed, because I was expecting a fully sci-fi film involved with alien, technologies, shootings, and stuff. And I was at high school back then. Now I can surely say that I get at least 95% the meanings the movie wants to convey. It hits so much different.
If you guys enjoyed this movie so much, and this type of movie in general I HIGHLY recommend the movie "Contact" if you haven't already seen it, another incredible film.
Nikki's question is what got me with this movie as well and still makes me think, "What would I do?" and it always makes me cry. Looking back at my own life and my own struggles, would I change things if I could. It's a hard question, if something is different in my past would I be a different person now? Makes ya think and always stuck with me from this movie.
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If you made it to the end of this comment, we appreciate you. Leave a 🛸 below!!
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Nikki please react to the new season of The Handmaids Tale September 14th. Thank you for making these videos for us. We love them. The Arrival is one of my favorite movies btw. The Lone Survivor is my all time favorite movie. 🛸
🚀 This is the closest I could find!
please react to the 'Extraordinary attorney Woo' :)
She did not see specific events in the future, she fully aquired the aliens' ability to view time from both ends at once. So she did not simply know about the disease, but about all of her daughter's life, since her memory includes the future. Once you think about it that way all her decisions make sense. She remembers her daughter's entire life before she is even conceived, so choosing not to have her because of the disease would feel the same as killing her. From her perspective this is not really a question of "Would you have a child if you knew they were going to die young of a disease?" as much as it is asking a parent who had a child die young of a disease if they would like to go back and unmake all the life their child had.
Yeah. She's just seeing events that already happened.
Perfect analysis. 👏👏👏👏👏
Painfully selfish.
Exactly! She remembers the future.
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Fun fact: General Shang's Wife's last words were: "In war, there are no winners, only widows"
As Teal'c would say..... "Indeed"
Shal'kek nem'ron
I thought she said "Your dinners in the oven"
And orphans..."
I always thought it was the wrong choice, not to tell us what that meant. The general could have told Louise. Such powerful words. Imagine Chang's reaction at that moment.
"Who is this child?" is one of the most chilling lines in sci-fi movie history.
@@kolo5141 right so someone in the series will meet their past/future or just alternate version of themselves, now I know to anticipate this the twist will probably not hit as hard :/
@@internaut4257 You won't see this, trust me. It' like saying that in Arrival aliens will give something to humanity. You don't know if it's positive or negative. It won't spoil you a surprise.
“Game Over Man! “
Calm down
Because it defiantly ain’t 😂
@@kolo5141 This specific twist in Dark was obvious. There were many other hard hitting and more unexpected reveals though. Also, why spoil things in youtube comments? You evil or something?
This movie is a masterpiece in storytelling and cinematography. Denis Villeneuve (Dune, Blade Runner:2049, Sicario) is just a master at his craft.
Not to forget the insane sound by Jóhann Jóhannsson, rest in peace
yeah Villeneuve is one of a couple directors I'll go watch in theaters no matter what
Prisoners is also a great movie
Incendies, Prisoners, Enemy... Villeneuve is a powerhouse and I can't wait to see Dune: Part 2
Agreed!
One of the best movies I’ve seen. Regarding Louise’s decision to have a baby knowing it was going to die, her logic was that she’d rather have those precious life changing years with her daughter rather than her daughter never existing. With love comes suffering, would you rather have both or neither? Choosing neither would be to reject life itself, I think it’s an amazing message.
It's the age old quote "better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all"
The way the movie contrasts her personality and decision to Ian’s is so tragic. When her daughter says to Louise that her dad doesn’t look at her the same way anymore is so heartbreaking. The fact that Louise knew and still decided that the happiness and love were more valuable that the grief and terrible sadness that would follow speaks to the strengh and sensibility of her charater. As Ian is portraied as the more logical and black and white character, he wouldnt accept the happy times with his kid the same way or at all knowing later that she would eventually die.
@@giuliamarquez6938 Louise also took away Ian's choice, so there was anger and betrayal wrapped up in it for him.
Agreed. Everybody ultimately dies. Life is ultimately death. And death is to celebrate life.
I mean, I think the answer is self evidently to not have the child. You can argue that she didn't have a choice, that's some people's interpretation of the movie's timeflow, but if you're saying that she had a choice whether or not to have the child, then clearly she should not have had her. I think it's cruel and insane to say otherwise.
"Not having a child" is not killing a child. "Having a child you KNOW will die" is killing a child.
She wasn't having visions, she was having memories. Once she learned the alien language, she saw time as no loner linear, but happening all at once. Her daughter was already born, and died, so she had no choice, it had already happened/would happen. She could see every moment in her daughter's life, because those moments weren't gone, they still had real existence. So, although her daughter died, she was also still alive in all these different moments, forever.
Steve got it right on the money
The ability to see the future, but with no way to affect what you see...I'd rather stay blind. That's cursed, torturous knowledge.
Why did the father then say she made the wrong choice?
@@SamJackson-xu1py I think because she still chose to persue a life with him even knowing their daughter would die.
My favorite theory with this movie: There's only one ship, that just happens to be in 12 different places at once. 12 locations * 90 minutes = 18 hours, which is the interval.
Wow.
I can see that.
I was good working out how to live in an eternal nonlinear lifespan, and I was good with imagining "space travel" was just the Heptapods visiting that part of their visit to Earth (which explains why they just dissipate when they leave), but working out the coordination to the 12 different locations (which sounds like dipping back into linear time) gives me a headache. My consciousness/intellect just hit a brick wall it cannot pass through...
and you have 18 likes....
Bro, you melted my brain.
Okay, this is absolutely brilliant.
It all makes complete sense since the heptapods don't live their lives in linear time like we do on Earth: they had to figure out a way to temporally transpose themselves into our plane of linear existence in order for them to be able to communicate with us.
Wow. Mind blown. Thanks for sharing this!
It's not the aliens that helped her see the future w the child it's simply their language.. Like ian said once u learn a language u start thinking w that language and the aliens' language is non-linear (u can perceive the future w it) that's why the more she learned that language the more she started having visions... And that first scene the movie starts with with her daughter and all was just the movie being told from a non linear perspective too, they showed us the end at the beginning... That is the brilliant of Denis Villeneuve.
And the cool thing was she saw the end of her daughter life BEFORE she began learning their language which indicates that effect preceeds cause.
Also, Louise is shown teaching the alien language. That implies that all people are going to be able to perceive time the same way she did.
@@genzai exactly... that is exactly what the heptapods' gift/ tool is.. To teach humanity their language so that they can perceive the future and see that threat that those heptapods are gonna face in 3000 years and figure out a solution to help them!!
@@aexothicc yeah, it's the same concept Arthur Clarke used in 2001. An evolutionary push by an alien species. I love this type of movies. I wonder if Ian acquired the gift after Hannah was born and realized what her future was, he could not handle his loss. While at the same time, Louise chose to focus on Hannah's life instead.
The brilliance of Ted Chiang, the writer of this story, and one of the great writers currently alive.
This movie will always have a huge place in my heart. The song that they play during the scenes with her daughter is called, “On the nature of Daylight”.
My fiancée and I lost our daughter at 7 months in 2008 and a nurse provided us with some comforting words about how her brief time in our lives allowed us to grow our hearts and the love we showered her with meant that she mattered and will always matter. She played this song for us and when this movie came out and the story line of the movie unfolded for me I cried so hard because it was almost the exact same kind of question. Would you have her knowing that you would lose her? I would still say yes knowing what I know.
So sorry to hear about your loss, I know nothing that a stranger on the internet can say can make the pain go away, but I just wanted to say what I would want to hear in that situation. As far as you saying that you would still choose to have her, knowing what you know now, I agree. Of course, I can only speak for myself, and the choice I would choose in my particular situation. I can totally understand those who would choose the other way. It's far from black and white.
My stepdaughter died young (though not as young as Hannah here) because of a problem with her heart that she had from birth. Even so, she was such a joyful part of so many lives I couldn't imagine having the choice to go back to stop it. (Not that I could have like I said step-daughter but the point still stands :) )
When you've seen that your child is going to be loving and loved, and you know that she will make your life better, but there will be pain and loss in the end, I would not be able to deny them that. That being said, I'm not the one who would have to make that impossible choice ultimately, As a Dad. I just couldn't imagine giving up a love you've already experienced. That's the main difference between the movie choice and any philosophical debate.
omg ive never cried reading a comment. I'm so sorry for your loss. The words of that nurse are so touching
I'm so sorry you and your fiancee lost her. I cannot imagine that kind of loss.
I agree with what that nurse told the both of you. Her life, however brief it was, mattered to you both. Her life mattered to you. I believe that wherever those memories your daughter kept of both of you, wherever those memories still exist, they live on in the ethereal: in that spiritual collective far away from the lives we live, far from our linear, materialistic existence.
Someday, somehow, I know you will all find each other again.
Thank you sharing this
I'm so sorry for your loss but so grateful for your courage and your answer. I've cared for dying children almost 30 years. I tell parents that for me, I've come to realize that children that die young are more like angels and that their child was very fortunate to have such loving parents. ...that angels come here for a reason that is probably known only to their family, to do something and/or teach us something. They return to heaven after this is done. They live on in our hearts and memories - waiting for when we return to heaven as well.
On a second watch this movie is a whole new experience. Once you understand that the flashbacks aren't flashbacks, and that she now sees her whole life as NOW, it makes her actions take on so much more significance.
The idea that you think differently when you learn another language is absolutely true. I have learned 5, and they all change your perspective.
This movie is among my very favorite films. Especially because it isn't about fighting aliens, it's about learning and perspective. So well done.
That is impressive Bil. I’m jealous of bilingual people let alone someone who speaks 5. Good for you. Two of my kids are bilingual. I’m learning Spanish but it’s taking a while. I’m older so I don’t have a ton of extra time or energy
@@kevinwheesysouthward9295 I moved my whole life, all over the world (dad was in the military) so I had a lot of learning just to speak to the locals. I'd say it's a lot easier when you're young, and honestly I've forgotten most of it.
What do you mean she sees her whole life as now?
@Levi Peterken I mean that she isn't seeing time the same way. There isn't a past or a future the way we experience it anymore for her. The past is happening, and the future is happening, and she is seeing all of it. Not in some chaotic way that makes no sense, but in a way that allows her to browse all the moments of her life like a memory with perfect recall. Everything is now, not then. It's all the same to her as the present is to you and me.
@@levipeterken4020 it means that the past, present, and future, exist simultaneously, at the same time.
It's worth noting that the Heptapods knew English just fine in advance of coming to Earth- they were very patient so Louise could learn their way of thinking.
It was all about Louise.
SUCH a masterpiece. Definitely worth watching several times.
So right I saw that movie few times and the Heptapods don't write in characters I think or they just don't want to do it.
I want to see the movie of who taught the Heptapods English. I imagine another alien race needs the help of heptapods in 6000 years but they won't be around unless humanity helps heptapods in 3000 years. So they teach Heptapods English to help humanity, so humanity helps them so they can help the aliens who taught them English...omg I am dizzy.
They wouldn't have known English unless they came to Earth and learned it from Louise. Although they "knew" it, they still had to actually go there and learn it at some point in time.
yeah, they knew because she taught them. like how Abbott knew he was going to die there, but went anyway. but with the little detail that he always arrived second.
I never realized this and I feel stupid, this movie is insane.
Of course they knew the language just like how Louise knew the phone number and what to say to the Chinese leader.
This movie is phenomenal. When I first realized what was happening with her daughter I freaking lost it, sobbed like a baby. Such a beautiful movie
I did not think the same. One of the worst movies I paid for to see.
@@DIGMyers ok then
@@DIGMyers wow i’m glad i’m not you 😭
@@eighteen-naked-cowboys What you don't like other opinions that differ than yours? Well I actually like being me so I guess it evens out.
Exactly the same. You could hear it in the theatre as the people gradually got it. Freakin' every time. I love the build and the resolution.
It’s so funny that the majority of the time Nikki & Steven thought the aliens were a massive threat just based on how they looked lol it perfectly ties into the rest of the world assuming they had ill intentions. The aliens were the one to put a glass barrier between themselves and humans, the aliens chose not to disturb even a blade of grass when they arrived, but solely because of what they look like everyone assumes the worst, it’s sad
Agreed
and an alien died from humans, and no human was hurt
Not even just from how the aliens looked.
People have been brainwashed by all those movies where any alien was automatically the bad guy. So that's what they now expect from a movie about aliens.
There was one other movie that showed that it was not the aliens to be the bad guys, but the humans. It's called: "The day the Earth stood still", from 1951, although there also is a remake from 2008 or so.
Very different, but also within these lines is the wonderful movie: "Enemy Mine" form 1985.
"Why did they give us that open with her daughter?" You were on to something there! What a great movie :)
I think the key to understanding is to let go of the concept of “the future” etc. learning the alien’s language allowed Louise to perceive her entire timeline simultaneously instead of in a linear way that terms like the future and the past would apply to. It was all a singular event for her by the end.
Such a gorgeous film!!! BTW, to answer Steven's question at the end....They get divorced because she didn't tell him that she knew....SHE decided to go ahead with having a child with him but did not tell him what she knew the future to be. I'm not judging her - who knows what decisions we'd make if we didn't think of time as linear -- but that had to have hurt him, no?
Yeah, but her decision was already made to have a baby. There's no altering that.
@@artboymoy Yes, exactly. That's what I'm saying.
The thing is a lot of people are still perceiving time as linear when they talk about her , when she is not experiencing that , she is seeing the future ,past and present all at the same time simultaneously, she could see when she was born to when she is going to die at the same time , I don’t think she has a choice to alter the future ,just like we can’t alter the future , the only difference is that she can see the future ,past and present at the same time .
That's one of the points, once you see time non-linearly, you no longer have choice at all. Because all those choices have already been made in the future by you, to arrive at the future outcome you see, which hasn't happened yet but has to happen...because you saw it.
But did it happen because you made it happen in the future, or does you seeing you made it happen in the future in the past what leads you to do what you know you do in the future. See the problem? You're asking for the question after you know the answer, so what does the question matter at that point, the answer will still be the same. And here's the real mindfuck...how do you know this is the FIRST TIME you've done any of this? How do you know you're not constantly retroactively creating your past from the future, or the future from the past?
@RobertMorgan -- I don't think this is right. Perceiving time non-linearly doesn't eradicate choice. She can change the future. She even asked Ian if he knew it would he change it. She chose to embrace it. Had she walked away from Ian her daughter would not have been born. This movie doesn't say that the future is all determined and there is no choice. Her perception of it is not something physically set in stone. Just like how the ship near her camp moved higher off the ground after the bomb, it wasn't set in stone for Abbot and Castello either. Their perception of the future could change too.
I love first contact type movies and this does it really well. The whole language barrier aspect is great.
I appreciate how realistically everything played out, so far as the reactions of humanity and the politics involved. There was a grand scheme but it wasn't fantastical or exaggerated, it felt very grounded in what could actually happen if a non-humanoid race of aliens ever made contact with us on such a wide scale. It was so believable, it made me frustrated and angry over certain events (like the rogue soldiers' attack on the ship). Imo this movie is one of the greatest sci-fis ever made.
Did you guys get the ending? By mastering their language she accessed “time ubiquity” as in seeing all points in time simultaneously, so she knew if they had a daughter she’d die from an illness. She told him, but only after she was already having her. She knew they’d have to experience the loss of their daughter and made that choice for both of them
But was there a choice?
@Ogami That's my thinking, too. Ian's contention though was that she made "the wrong choice." If she had told him before they conceived, would he have done it anyway? They separated over her decision not to disclose until it was too late, so it's certainly possible. So there's something of a deception there on her part. Or an inevitability to her choice there, if Hannah must have been born no matter what.
@@brandonjuno I think "the wrong choice" is that she told Ian what was going to happen. Once she did that Ian could no longer look at his daughter the same and it poisoned his feelings towards her. It could be either.
@@krayzy932 She knew that would happen too though surely.
The Heptapods also sacrificed- they knew about the bomb before they ever arrived.
Yeah I agree with that one person, Annihilation is a must watch, especially if you got Dolby vision/hdr and Atmos. The visuals and sound design are amazing! Trippy
I remember seeing it in Dolby with my brother and WOW THE SOUND. Especially at that one scene towards the end… SO LOUD
Absolutely.
Only for the performance of Oscar Isaac. Otherwise, it's just weird fare with characters from the MCU. What, you wanted more?
@@genghisgalahad8465 huh?
@@genghisgalahad8465 huh?
i love this this movie literally spells out the twist for you in the opening lines, and we don't even notice....fantastic
if you loved this movie, i get the feeling you’ll LOVE Interstellar
I ridiculously ugly cry every time!
Arrival is #1 for me, Interstellar is definitely top 5. Great recommendation. (Not that anyone's interested, but my top 5 is rounded out by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Jojo Rabbit, and Inside Out; the order varies depending on my mood!)
omg yes! arrival is amazing (and one of my faves) but even though interstellar is less of a perfect movie, i'm more emotionally attached to it
Isn’t every life valid? My youngest son is the most loving and most gentle person I know. He has a severe chronic mental illness that developed when he was 21, The last seven years has been excruciating watching his struggle with it. If I had known before I had him this would happen, would I have chosen to have him? Can any parent save their child from heartbreak or illness? Don’t we all get sick, feel pain, die? I don’t know what the right answer is, all I know is that I can’t imagine a world where he does not exist and where his experience cannot help someone else going through the same thing. Isn’t life about experiencing it, not trying to perfect it?. My son’s life matters. It may be a challenging one, but how selfish would I have been to erase him from ever existing and touching the lives he has touched?
In this movie she chooses to experience life, to let fear go and love it no matter the pain she would eventually experience. Nothing can save us from pain but we can definitely choose to hide away from feeling joy, no matter how fleeting. How much sadder would that be?
I'm so glad someone made a movie like this. One of my biggest questions has always been communication with an alien civilization. How would we if one ever arrived? The screenwriters really layed it out in such a great way storywise. It would be a challenge if it were to come to pass.
Math would be a good start..Any advanced civilization capable of space flight would be knowledgeable in math and math transcends language.
@@ryanhampson673 You need language to communicate math though.
@@vederianl9723 Not really, language and collection of symbols are two different things.
It's based on the short story "Story of your Life" by Ted Chiang.
I recommend to read Solaris by Stanisław Lem then. It contains such an interesting concept of communication and understanding different alien being.
The implication seems to be that the future _can't_ be changed. The Heptapod language allows you to experience time non-linearly, with no difference between present, future and past (otherwise you wouldn't be able to write or understand it properly), but that doesn't mean you can change the future any more than you can change the past.
The Heptapods (and anyone who learns their language) are like the Tralfamadorians in _Slaughterhouse-Five,_ though maybe less fatalistic. _"So it goes."_
Even though you already know the "twist", you might still enjoy Ted Chiang's short story _Story of your life,_ on which this film is based (published in his anthology _Stories of your life and others_ ); it's as good as the movie if not better (and the rest of the stories in the book are also great).
The point is that if she desided to dont have baby that that future would be different. But we sees the future and we know FROM BEGINING that she desided to have Hannah.
@@joelf634 I think you misunderstood. There is no decision on her part. The alien language teaches her that time isn't linear. It is essentially overlapping; the past, present and future happen simultaneously.
Her daughter ALWAYS lives and ALWAYS dies. But because she understands the perspective of the aliens, though her daughter is also dead, her daughter is also alive and there is peace in that.
Nothing could have changed that.
@@babadook4404 I understand and agree with you. Just tried to explain different way.
I think the implication is that the future is changed by learning the language because it gives the being that knows the language full knowledge of everything they will ever learn after learning the language. (i.e. because our MC was able to know and say things that she couldn't have possibly known in the present.)
@@mashzapotato That doesn't imply any changes to the future, though; she was always going to learn the language, she was always going to call general Chang and convince him, she was always going to write the book, and humanity was always going to help the Heptapods in three thousand years, which is why they travelled to Earth to teach us their language and ask for help, even though it meant Abbot's death.
(This doesn't mean that causality stops working, mind, though it _might_ change the order of cause and effect from the point of view of someone who experiences time linearly; humanity will help the Heptapods _because_ they came here and taught us their language; general Chang trusted Louise _because_ she knew his wife's dying words, and she knew them _because_ he'd tell them to her in the future; causality still works, if sometimes not in the order we're used to... but that doesn't mean things could have happened any different; they _have_ to happen this way, because that's how they happened in the past and / or will happen in the future, which, from the perspective of someone fluent in Heptapod are one and the same.)
I’ve seen this film a dozen times and I still cry every time. It’s one of the few films I watch every year.
You and I both buddy, you and I both😢
It's up there with "Bullitt" & "The Great Escape" on my let's-watch-this-again list.
"Why would you want to visit us?! We're all stupid here." Sad, but true. Great reaction.
Many humans enjoy the presence of animals even though we're technically way more advanced than they are
Not all, but many. Also apparently in 3000 years we manage to become somewhat useful. 🤣
I saw this film shortly after losing my fiance before we were going to get married. It made me confront the very same question. Knowing what I know would happen, would I still re-live the same experience. Every person takes a risk when they choose to get into a relationship. Every parent takes a risk when they decide to have children. We can have them for a whole lifetime or a short moment, but the time spent makes all the difference and that's what pushes you to make the leap. The same leap Louise made when she chose to risk her life to save the world from war and to have Hannah. Great reaction.
I just watched this movie for the second time ever tonight. Several years after seeing it for the first time in theaters. It's so much better on the long delayed second watch because you have a general memory of what's happening. You see everything in a different way rewatching it.
The craft that went into this movie is mind boggling. The way she is learning a language and it's being shown to us visually... it's remarkable. The fact that they figured out a way to make a general audience understand that someone is learning a language through time where time itself is the language.
She starts out just getting flashes and that's like when we first start learning the very basics of a language. Then she's more involved in those flashes just like how we become able to have short conversations. And then eventually she's fully interacting and gaining information from those flashes of time which is us starting to master a language.
I went into the film with no expectations and was very pleasantly surprised. It's excellent!!!
My personal favorite film of all time. And as someone else mentioned in the comments, watching the film again with the knowledge of knowing what happens, is a completely different experience. And it will allow you to notice things like all of the linear items in the frame (chairs, books, patio seams, etc), and then the circular nature of things around Louise (her classroom desks, etc). Simply stunning.
Definitely one of my top Denis Villeneuve movies and within my top 20 all time. Such a well crafted story that doesn't fall into the typical "Alien vs Humanity" tropes. Great reaction from the two of you!
What if having Hannah was necessary to help the future even though her child dies? Perhaps that even during the time that Hannah was alive, her life still left an impact that would affect the future. Damn I love movies that keep you thinking.
Absolutely agree with your take on Hannah helping save humanity (or actually her experience of Hannah) as Louise searches her mind for clues and answers to the task at hand. Master storytelling and cinematography, brilliant direction and superb acting. This movie had the whole package.
I also loved when Chris Stuckmann walked out confused after the movie, then his wife told him which memory were in order, I was totally effin blown away when the chinese prez told her the line that made him step down from attacking them, and she also found that out herself!
Could you give us your entire top 20?
@@gear2902 Heh right? I'm wondering what masterpieces must be on it to have bumped Arrival down so far!
I think it's interesting that you noticed her house in the beginning.
While nice and expensive, it's sterile, lonely and isolated. Not a warm homestead like the "flashbacks" at the very beginning. A very subtle hint at the ending twist.
The misunderstanding of the word "kangaroo" is how Canada got it's name. This next bit is a copy paste from a Canadian government web site.
The name “Canada” likely comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata,” meaning “village” or “settlement.” In 1535, two Aboriginal youths told French explorer Jacques Cartier about the route to kanata; they were actually referring to the village of Stadacona, the site of the present-day City of Québec. For lack of another name, Cartier used the word “Canada” to describe not only the village, but the entire area controlled by its chief, Donnacona.
The name was soon applied to a much larger area; maps in 1547 designated everything north of the St. Lawrence River as Canada. Cartier also called the St. Lawrence River the “rivière du Canada,” a name used until the early 1600s. By 1616, although the entire region was known as New France, the area along the great river of Canada and the Gulf of St. Lawrence was still called Canada.
Soon explorers and fur traders opened up territory to the west and to the south, and the area known as Canada grew. In the early 1700s, the name referred to all French lands in what is now the American Midwest and as far south as present-day Louisiana.
The first use of Canada as an official name came in 1791, when the Province of Quebec was divided into the colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. In 1841, the two colonies were united under one name, the Province of Canada.
Love this film. Such a grounded/down-to-Earth/realistic way of handling of such a situation, then there's the awesome time-twisting.
So many great -Whoa!- moments, when you understand things (Like the Hexapods knew _exactly_ what was going to happen (& when) with the humans, before they even arrived).
Time as non-linear: Imagine your entire life is on the edit/timeline bar. Rather than being stuck watching everything from start to finish, you can jump to any point in your story by choosing a point.
I'm so glad you two liked this one, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to re-watch one of my favorites along with new eyes. Nikki got me crying all over again 😭😭😭 I LOVE the discussions that this film brings up, Arrival is SO GOOD!!!
If you had the memories of your entire life, from birth to death, in your mind right now, what would you do with that knowledge? Would you try to change anything? Could you change anything? How would you live your life knowing all the joys and sorrows that have happened and would happen, but you know all of that right now? That is the question posed by this movie. It is a really trippy thing to consider.
One of my favorite movies. She choose to still go through the journey of loving someone even though she knew she’d lose Hannah. Very hard decision to make but I think this is such a BRILLIANT masterpiece and absolutely beautiful.
Yeah this story is mind boggling. She knew the journey, and it was worth taking so she took it. Her daughter was worth knowing.
Also remember, they knew what was coming... so they knew Abbott's fate before they came. They chose to come. She chose to give her daughter a happy life, sure it ended too soon, but she made the choice to be happy, to have her husband be happy, to have her daughter be happy, and cherish every minute.
If I told you you'd meet an alien and become immortal you would know that you'd outlive everyone... would you not want to make the most of every moment with your family or whatever makes you happy? Even if you knew that being immortal everyone else would die while you go on.
One of my all time favorite movies it's abit of a doozy but in a perfect way, so glad you finally got to watch this masterpiece. Amy Adams is a PHENOMENAL actress. huge shame on the academy for not giving her an Oscar yet.
I'm a parent of two young kids and I have two and a half decades of communications experience. This movie is a love letter to both, and I had chills the whole way through. I loved the way her memory is fragmented, and it makes a lot of sense. Try to remember what happened on this day 10 years ago. If it was a major event, you may remember the big details, but the little ones like who said what and when, etc, will likely be lost or very hazy. It gets hazier the farther out it is. As she learned more of their language, she remembered further and further into the future, but her memory wasn't perfect, so little details would pop in (as they often do when we try to remember things), like the "non-zero-sum game" revelation. Such a brilliant movie!
I'll be 40 this year, that's like 38.5 years experience communicating, and I concur.
This film is one of my favorites, not only because of the production, the photography and the sound design, but the story, it is so well made, and the moment you understand her decision, even knowing how everything was going to happen, deciding to have the daughter, broke me completely.
@@irinasibona8410 have you read the story it's based on? Ted Chiang - Story of your life.
It's cute how nervous they both are watching this movie for the first time because I remember feeling the same way waiting for the other show to drop with the aliens. But they turn out to be more peaceful than humans
This movie is not so much about the aliens. It's about us and how we react to the unknown. We usually call it alien 'invasion'. The word itself gives away our presupposed position. And it is a position of vulnerability, uncertainty and fear. But, we can never now when, and firstly - if - aliens Arrive, what it is going to be like. I have a favorite quote from favorite sci-fi authors:
“Xenology* is an unnatural mixture of science fiction and formal logic. At its core is a flawed assumption-that an alien race would be psychologically human.”
* - (chiefly in science fiction) the scientific study of alien biology, cultures, etc.
We can be prepared for the worst, yes, but not immediately act as if it is already happening.
Love this movie! My all time favorite so far :D Pure joy to see you reacting to it and loving it!
And, to add to the debate in the end if she had a choice or not. The aliens knew that in 3000 years they will need our help. Wouldn't they be able to then change something so that it doesn't come to it? Or is their arrival here a change in their story that will otherwise give them a chance to survive an inevitable demise?
The visions were also memories. She deeply loved a child that didn't exist. She also mourned the loss of a child that didn't exist. She knew the pain that would come. She chose that path anyways cuz it was worth the experience for her. Life would be full of love and purpose. The gift was the ability to fully appreciate every moment and making meaningful choices in life while knowing all the good and the bad that comes with each choice. By choosing not to have a child also meant she would still mourn and be hurt, by not having such beautiful and heartbreaking experiences that make life truly worth savoring. And if humanity can learn this language, what a wonderful and rich life we would all live and share. Beautiful movie.
One of my favorite movies of all time. Grand in scope, yet minute and subtle. Quiet, and loud all at once. Personal and Ranging in its story. The amazing plot twist. But most importantly the beautiful themes and messages it leaves you with. It’s why it stuck with me ever since I watched it. The question is asks, “How would you react if you knew everything that was gonna happen to you? How would it affect you? Would you embrace it or would it consume you?” And the beauty of living for the beautiful moments we get to have in our lives with the people we love, a smile, a laugh, a hug. I’m tearing up writing this. This movie is just so outstanding in what it accomplishes, and the power of that message resonated with me ever since I watched it. I feel all your emotions here Nikki. The larger discussion this movie brings about, yet the internal personal questions it makes you ask yourself, albeit uncomfortable, is also beautiful at the same time. Can’t say enough great things about this masterpiece. Not to mention Denis Villenueve’s masterful direction, brilliant writing, and the enchanting score. Great reaction Nikki and Steven ❤️
I also thought for a long time that no, I would not have a child that would die. Then I realized that not having the child meant that instead of a short life, the person you loved so dearly would never get to exist or have a life at all. It is such a tough one, and there are no right, or even good, answers....
An amazing film and Denis Villeneuve is an amazing director. To me he is right up there with Kubrick, Kurosawa, Coppola, Fincher and other greats.
I think its so interesting how humans whenever we meet something that is as smart as us like humans or beyond we always think in aggressive manner even though their is no reason for us to think this no matter how intelligent or intimidating they may seem also humans always think of what a person or thing could do to harm u but if we put that aside we could all come together as life and explore and research everything the universe offers but sadly this may never happen because how we think and our nature for understanding
What I love about this movie is that it's very much in the spirit of a lot of classic science fiction writing. Movies tend to go for action adventure, but often miss on something a bit deeper.
Would you have a child, knowing your child would die? Would you refuse to give love, and receive love, because you would experience pain in addition to joy? All who live, will one day die. To reference Shakespeare, is it better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all? Is there life after death? Would you see your daughter in the next life? All tough questions.
"You can go." Nikki you're hilarious!🤣 To be fair aliens can't be worst than most humans.
Fair enough
Agreed.
Most humans are great though. The minority of bad ones stand out.
@@afrodemon8629 Quite the opposite I think. Individually, most people are generally good. It's groups of people with an ideology that you have to watch out for. People who _think_ they have god on their side.
@@afrodemon8629 Nah, what is good never changes.
It’s interesting that you instantly perceive the aliens as a threat. I love that Louise approaches the project purely academically, not making assumptions about the aliens without evidence.
never clicked so fast 😂 love this movie
Yes! Same!
I’m honestly surprised that in all the first contact movies that have ever been made that it took until this masterpiece of a movie to show how difficult it would actually be to learn each other’s languages.
Also the scene when they first meet the heptapods is still one of the most heart pounding scenes I’ve ever scene.
Arrival feels like a Christopher Nolan film. Understanding that time is just an illusion and writing a creative narrative around that notion. Very underrated movie! Nikki always seems to have the twist instict.
You don't really understand what's happening until the end. This is one of my favorite movies
This movie is absolutely amazing. And Amy Adams acting?? I wanted her to get the Oscar that year. Like, once you see and understand the movie, then it becomes obvious what they were all those feelings that she was expressing. And in rewatch, you get everything. She did a phenomenal job
So hilarious and fun to watch you two puzzling over those "flashbacks" until that slow-burn "eureka" moment, and the gears started spinning fast with the realization and reappraisal of everything you saw up until that point.
Much of the emotional punch and sustain this film generates pours directly out of Jóhann Jóhannsson's score which won many awards and coalesced in a novel way. (Jóhannsson also scored "Sicario" and "Prisoners")
more like flashforwards, but nikki and steven got it eventually 😄
The first time i finished watching this movie i was speechless. I had to process a lot of things - the whole plot, the finale, the choices main characters had to make. I felt sad, a bit devastated yet happy that i happened to watch this masterpice. Also, the soundtrack in this movie is TOP-NOTCH! It simply immerses you in the movie settings and adds more depth to it. Love it!
Omg same ! I was speechless too, this movie with interstellar and Contact (Jodie Foster) are my top 3 favourite movie of all time
I think another thing that’s heroic about the heptapods is that they already knew what would happen to Abbott, just like Louise did.
Like probably every Villeneuve movie, a freaking masterpiece
This.
In 1997,I witnessed a large white, rectangular Ufo in Nevada. It changed my life. Now every time I'm outdoors, I scan the sky. Day or night. Since then, I've seen many other things in the sky,all shapes and sizes. This may sound crazy to some, but that's the reality that I live in now. And yes,there is no history of mental illness in my family.
Maybe smoke less weed
More ”heavy drama” movies like this!! Your taste in everything is great!!!
This and Contact...
...the only movies that say the future still has hope, it still has promise.
I hope these movies make me cry because that hope has beauty and not that we have lost that promise and all hope is lost.
This is one of the most beautifully done heartbreaking movies I have ever seen! It is right up there with The Lovely Bones ♥
I LOVE Arrival. Beautifully told story. Time-travel element is the best out of all the movies and shows I've watched involving space-time.
This movie BLEW MY MIND the first time I saw it.
This is a MUST re-watch. Once you know the "twist" it actually gets _so_ much better because you realize how many clues they drop. As opposed to movies that just put a twist in for the sake of a twist (*cough* M. Night Shyamalan *cough*), this one is truly shocking and truly makes the film better. Also, Amy Adams' performance is spectacular! The first time through (you may not consciously realize it) her acting seems _off_ because you think she's reacting to flashbacks. Once you find out it's the future it's a moment of OH SHIRT! Suddenly it all makes sense.
By far the most “accurate” depiction of an alien species, as in not bipedal with just weird skin. If alien life exists it’s mosty likely a form we aren’t anticipating
Making them all the more....alien.
@@genghisgalahad8465 and it seems this kind of alien is terrifying to some - I fking love it. It’s an acceptance of the fact we don’t know everything. We barely know anything
I mean we share more DNA with a squid or a spider than we would with an extraterrestrial. So they would look even weirder to us than those do.
No they are humanoid
@@zacatkinson3926 No they are not.
"Well, I mean, why would you want to visit us? We're all stupid here." Preach Nikki, lmao
When I moved down to Argentina and I started learning their language, I started to dream in Spanish. Ultimately after I somewhat mastered it, I noticed that I thought and acted differently when speaking Spanish, or for that matter any other language. I feel I use a different part of my brain and process things differently from English.
So glad to see your reaction to this movie - I absolutely love 'Arrival'. It's beautifully shot and the score is wonderful. It's so very different from the 'typical' alien movie and I really adore the underlying message.
Wonderful reaction. :)
The revelation that her child will die is a symbolic representation of the existential Maternal Sacrifice, just like Michelangelo’s Pieta. Every mother’s child will face the harsh world at some point, if mothers were to always protect their child, then they would only weaken and corrupt their own child. A good mother faces her fear and necessarily fails to protect her child knowing that this will strengthen and ennoble them. Dr. Banks faces her inevitable sorrow head on like the strong woman she is.
I think the message here is that its better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all.
Love watching you guys, can’t wait to see whats next!
She has choice. She saw a happy child and didn't want that person to not live that life (brief as it was). You could easily argue that denying that life would be selfish. She could avoid that pain by avoiding having a child - that would be about her and her alone. Abbott came to Earth knowing that it would die, but only if it acted. It's deep $#!+
Yeah, a short happy life is better than no life at all. Also, every single child dies at some point during its life. It's inevitable. So yeah, denying that whole life based on the knowledge that the kid will die at some point, just to avoid your own grief, seems selfish to me. Besides ... you would constantly live with the grief of thinking about what could have been, so nothing is avoided anyway. ;)
No. She did not have a choice. If she wouldn't have had the child that future would not have existed and she would not have seen it. She would have seen the future of her not having a child. The future she sees has its own past and those future events depend on the actions of that past. To somehow choose not to continue on the path to that future would result in paradox. You saying see had a choice is the same as saying that you choose to walk up a wall. You may choose to do so but there is a natural law in place that prevents you doing so. Same in this scenario.
@@Trainwheel_Time It was established in the movie how the alien language had affected her. She didn't see the future, she saw time as a whole - that does not mean back to the future logic works. She has choice and knows what she will choose at once. It's why Ian was mad at her. He knew that she had a choice.
@@Jigsaw407 No, a short happy life with a lot of pain is not better than no life at all. Because if you don't exist, you don't suffer. She was selfish.
No, intentionally creating suffering is wrong and selfish.
The story explains the real-life principle that learning certain kinds of new languages actually re-wires your brain, because language isn't just words, it's ideas. For example, German is a language full of subtle philosophical concepts and learning German actually makes you think more philosophically (hence why so many famous philosophers were German -- Hegel, Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, etc.), and French is a very emotion-filled and romantic language (it has ten different words for different kinds of "love") and learning it makes you feel a wider range of emotions. Here, the alien's language perceives time differently, so learning it enabled Louise to see through time the way they do.
This whole film is a masterpiece! The storytelling, the score, and the amazing concept are mind-blowingly good. The soft opening narration over the heartbreaking story gets me every time. 😭I loved that this was such a different movie than other alien sci-fi flicks I've seen. As you said, it is a big-brain concept. There is so much more in-depth research that you get to see, discussing language and how on earth you try to develop a way of communicating with an alien being. And the unfurling reveal at the end gives me goosebumps. Just amazing! So glad you guys enjoyed this. It is definitely worth multiple viewings! ~Caroline
Besides all the technical aspects and the great performances, what truly strikes me is that they wrote this script based on a 46 page story. It's more than an adapted screenplay, in my opinion. The fact they were able to expand on such an already dense topic is incredible.
The music is a character by itself. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. RIP, Jóhann Jóhannsson.
When the things started to connect in this film I was like a little child enjoying a toy during christmas, it was so amazing and emotional at the same time. The film is literally streamed backwards, cause we do get the consequences straight from the beginning just to find out what were the causes leading up to the moment. Very nice concept and definitely one of the better alien sci-fi films in the genre
I just absolutely love everything Amy Adams stars in. You guys should consider watching Sharp Objects on HBO starring her. It's a great mini series, lots of twists and turns and an amazing plot. Love you guys, you are amazing!
Such a good reaction I had to come back and watch it again. For a film about language, get this: the filmmakers used the "language" of film - the flashback - to trick us that we were seeing events of the past, when in reality they were things she was seeing that hadn't happened yet. So they used the "vocabulary" of movies that we the audience know - how *we interpret* cutting to shots of events from another time and place - to support the big twist.
I haven't had a chance to rewatch this but I love your reaction 😍this is one of my most favorite movies! Such an excellent reveal.
Great reaction! There is some complication because the message was planted in the past. But you figured it out.
Nikki: "who can pee the farthest"
Babies while your changing their diapers🙃
facts
*you're
*you're
I know that this is years later, but I really appreciated the discussion the two of you had at the end of this reaction. I think that is the hallmark of good art; something that challenges you to think and see the world in a new way, whether you agree with the message or not. To me, this is a fantastic film because it so beautifully tells a non-linear story.
One of my favorite pastimes is showing friends movies I love and seeing their reactions. Sadly I don’t get to do that often thanks to a busy, and somewhat unpredictable, work schedule. Watching you two dissect films is a little nugget of escapism for me in my busy, day-to-day life. At the risk of being forward, who is Hannah?
I would really recommend watching DARK as another time travel show. Watch it in the original German as well. It's on Netflix and only 3 seasons of I think 28 episodes.
What we know is a drop....
"I wonder if there's keys or tells..."
Literally the opening narration.
And i'd say no, Louise didn't have a choice, in the way that you're thinking of it. SHE seems to think there was a choice, since she asks that question about "If you knew..." But she already made the choice, in the so-called future.
For this story to make any sense at all, you have to accept the idea that time is not linear---that what we think of as past, present, future, all exist simultaneously. If that is true, then the events of that perceived-future have already taken place, in their own time. Therefore i think it would be impossible for her to make a different choice, because it already happened.
Unless we're talking about multiverses, but that's a whole other can of worms...
Excellent film, one of my favourites, and great reactions from you guys as always.
I love this movie so much. As soon as I saw that you guys were watching it live I was really sorry I couldn't tune in to watch Nikki's reactions to Hannah's storyline. Amazing film. When you look at how Denis Villenueve directed this film, then "Blade Runner 2049", and then "Dune: Part One" all in a row ... holy shit what a trifecta, soon to be a grand slam with "Dune: Part Two" (and that doesn't even include the amazing films he did before this).
One of my favorite movies of all time! Love that you guys knew absolutely nothing about it going in, not even that it was about aliens!
Such a masterpiece and denis villeneuve is one of the best directors around.
This film is definitely rewatchable! You really see the aliens differently knowing they are the good guys. I actually think they are kind of cute. So Ian leaves when Hannah is about 7ish because Louise told him what was going to happen. My theory is that he was learning the language and he started having visions of her sickness and eventual death. So she would have confirmed his visions and he felt betrayed.
Amazing movie indeed! If you love a well done slow burn with great twists... dive into the show "Dark" on Netflix (though highly recommend watching it in original language, German, with English subtitles... the dubbed version isn't great.) It's only 3 seasons with 8 to episodes each.
I'd think you would greatly, greatly enjoy it and your minds will be blown! You need to pay attention though, it's not holding your hands necessarily. Talking about complicated storytelling... but in a good way without spoiling anything.
Re-watching is amazing with how many really strong hints there are in the movie, that you just don’t ever get watching through the first time. The quote Ian reads to her when they first meet about language being a weapon, just so many clues.
i dont think Louise had a choice. her daughter's life happens, that is why she can recall it. Ian doesnt understand which is why he gets angry and leaves. if Louise had the choice, it would be pretty messed up to force Ian to go through all the pain and suffering of losing a child. Also, if the future could be changed, why wouldnt Abbott avoid dying in that explosion? Why wouldnt the aliens just abduct Louise and teach her what she needed to know instead of revealing themselves to the whole world the way they did? i think the most tragic part of this movie is that Ian thinks that Louise forced him into having to lose a child and that he couldnt understand that it was always going to happen.
excellent reaction!!! this is the best scifi movie ever imo.
First, let me say that I am in NO way suggesting you are wrong. My thoughts on the matter are, "these are memories of the path you are on now," but doesn't mean you cannot change paths and create different memories.
As for Abbott, I believe that a race of beings that know nothing other than non-linear time might not even have a concept of free will.
@@OCDCentral very true, those aliens may not have a concept of free will...so does that mean Louise lost her free will in this movie since she now perceives time as they do?
to understand where i am coming from, imagine time as a 4th spatial dimension. in our 3 spatial dimensional world we can move up and down, left and right, forwards and backwards. it is easy for us to understand how things move and interact in a 3 dimensional space. now imagine stepping out of the time dimension. you would be able to see how things were, how they are now, and how they will be for all time. this line of thinking does kill the idea of free will. i for one, like the idea of free will. i would love to go back and live my life again with the knowledge i have now for better or worse (hopefully, mostly for the better!!!) but in reality, i have to embrace the life i have lived. sadly, we cant know if there is really 'free will' because we are stuck in this temporal dimension. thats the beauty of this movie. if we had the choice, we could choose to embrace the joy in our lives, and that tragedy reminds us how important that joy is.
Thank you for responding!!! i hope i dont come off as arrogant. my position could be totally wrong. im not trying to prove my position is the only correct one. i just dont like the idea of Louise being selfish!!!
@@danielbrooks5585 No arrogance assumed, just friendly discussion. My thought is that if one could know what will happen at xyz+T that they could choose different xyz coordinates to be at, changing the memories of what comes after.
Example: I need to go to place A and place B. I know I leave my house and go to A first and will die in a car wreck. My assumption is that having known the concept of free will for most of my life, I can decide to go to B first, or nowhere at all. The moment this decision is made, my memories of the future now reflect what comes after having made this new decision.
I did make another post about which would be more selfish for Louise. Would it be more selfish to allow Hannah to live and love and exist for a short time, or for Louise to save them both the pain of Hannah living and dying by not having her?
I do not have an easy answer for that.
Re-watching it after 6 years, makes a lot more sense now. At release, I wasn't impressed, if not disappointed, because I was expecting a fully sci-fi film involved with alien, technologies, shootings, and stuff. And I was at high school back then. Now I can surely say that I get at least 95% the meanings the movie wants to convey. It hits so much different.
If you guys enjoyed this movie so much, and this type of movie in general I HIGHLY recommend the movie "Contact" if you haven't already seen it, another incredible film.
Also, watch V for Vendetta! To me, absolute comic book masterpiece
Nikki's question is what got me with this movie as well and still makes me think, "What would I do?" and it always makes me cry. Looking back at my own life and my own struggles, would I change things if I could. It's a hard question, if something is different in my past would I be a different person now? Makes ya think and always stuck with me from this movie.
Love the movie! Love your reactions!