The Arrival movie review

MOVIE TITLE: The Arrival

This one-location film releases on digital platforms on September 17, 2024.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 71 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: C

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about six people who cross paths over the course of an afternoon at a sparsely attended Manhattan bar, each struggling with physical and emotional boundaries. When a stranger arrives, they begin to question who they are and what they might become.

The film was directed by Alyssa Rallo Bennett. Writing credits go to her husband Gary O. Bennett.

THINGS I LIKED:

All of the characters look and feel like real people. The cast includes Peter Bradbury, Nikolas Elrifi, Nick Hamparyan, Alice Heber Martin, Vivian Helvajian, Ines Ladha, Pooya Mohseni, and Daniela Urdaneta. They all gave earnest performances.
I like the one-location style of filmmaking. The entire film takes place in an upscale bar, although it is large enough to allow the characters to move around and have some of their own private space.
I love the idea of a character entering a story that sheds light on everything that happened or was said before. The confusing part of the title is that there were two arrivals of new characters.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

All of the characters are mostly self-absorbed Millennials and Gen Z narcissists who think they’re so wise. Super annoying.
Some of the writing is inconsistent, which affects the character development. For example, one character gets mad because another character doesn’t say thank you. A few minutes later, she tells the character, “You don’t have to thank me; I’m just doing my job.”
Twenty minutes in and we still know nothing about any of the characters.
Worst. Employee. Ever.
The plucky music tries to tell us what’s supposed to be funny or charming.
Several of the plot points are not resolved by the end of the film.
We don’t see much character development.