Arrival

Adapting short fiction has yielded some of the finest science fiction films of all-time, like They Live! and Charly. Arrivial is based on a short story by the amazing Ted Chiang, and deals with a Louise's life as a mother… and the fact that aliens have made first contact. The story deals with a linguist's attempt to establish two-way communication with the aliens, and then with how she deals with her relationship with Ian, a physicist also working on the alien scenario. This is a human film, about how humans deal with human emotions in a setting that is starting to turn a bit unhuman. The way the relationship between the aliens (who are brilliantly rendered via CGI) and Louise evolves is so smart, and it's not long into the film when you realize that this is all going to end up aplaying out as humanity's most basic urges against our own sense of morality, and mortality. Amy Adams is fantasic as Louise, and Jeremy Renner proves why he's one of the best actors for big time movies today. The music, in particular, is powerful and moves the entire production forward. Why it's on the list: A beautifully made adaptation of a beautiful story.