When a dozen huge alien spacecraft take up position at various points around the globe, a professor of linguistics (Amy Adams, perfect) is asked to try to establish communication. This is a plausible, non-glamorous and cerebral “what-if” alien visitation tale from Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario) along the lines of 1997’s Contact. And like all good sci-fi stories, it looks inward at the human condition instead of up at the stars and has something to say about today’s world. It’s a beautiful and thought-provoking puzzle box of a movie that packs considerable emotional weight. Nominated for eight Oscars. (116 min)