Not many horror films truly scare me these days. But alien horror? Even the ones substandard to most send me into a fear frenzy. That’s why I’m taking a deep dive into the sub-genre.
Welcome to Aliens Scare Me. A look into alien horror films on a case by case basis.
This month we investigate the scary part of us when it comes to the aliens showing up in Denis Villeneuve’s (Dune, Enemy, Blade Runner 2049, Dune: Part Two) Arrival.
What It’s About
Given recent events, it’s a possibility you read this in the headline of a news story before you read it here. But here goes: In Arrival, twelve UFOs appear suddenly hovering around different parts of the world. Vertically, like when you thought you were fancy and had your PS2 upright on your mom’s carpet back in 2000. They also (in their own way) invite us up for contact.
The military then recruits language expert Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and Scientist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) to make first contact with the aliens, attempt to form a dialogue and find out why they are here. All this before other countries launch an offensive attack based on fear and miscommunication.
Why It’s Scary
First, there’s the arrival itself. Unless you’re personally abducted, the scariest part of alien arrival is the unknown. In all these movies from Signs to Independence Day, the moment they decide to reveal themselves above is insanely intimidating. We as a people are the unwilling equivalent of one of those idiot scientists from Prometheus shoving our faces in front of an unknown organism. At any second we face anything from our total destruction to something really fucking rad that’s going to change our lives forever.
Arrival has us experience this through Louise’ eyes as a college professor teaching class when her students’ phones start buzzing one by one. In a very ominous tone usually reserved for M. Night Shyamalan character diction, a student asks Louise to turn on the TV. This is especially frightening in our current society, having lived through everything from 9/11 to Covid and all the horrendous world events in between. It’s all too familiar. There’s something palpable about the way Villeneuve calmly relates this “Oh shit, here we go” moment to the audience. Outside the University is a different story as people make nervous phone calls and wreck their cars into each other in a sort of reserved pandemonium.
We’re in a hurry but where to? They are above us.
Second, there is contact. After an epic and frightening (if you hate heights) scene of our heroes being allowed to board the UFO, we’re introduced to the aliens. A large aquarium-like piece of plexiglass is between us and them. On their side, large amounts of mist (or maybe they just really like party fog) fill the room as they slowly reveal themselves. These are (disappointingly) not freaky little green or grey men but rather large, intricate creatures. They kind of resemble an Octopus. Just less fugly and horrifying. Have you ever seen an actual Octopus? Don’t.
Though the Heptapods (we named them this to avoid using the word aliens) seem cordial, the moment is nonetheless extremely intense. It’s somehow even more frightening that these creatures seem calm and in control. You get the sense that we’re the helpless fish being gawked at in the aquarium glass as they make beautiful gestures towards us that could mean anything from “We like hot dogs” to “We’re going to eat your parents.”
Finally, there’s the scariest part of all. How those in power around the world will react. As Arrival unfolds and we work together with the Heptapods to understand each other, there is mention of them wanting to gift us a weapon. This weapon (spoilers ahead) ends up being the gift of time travel, for lack of a better term. Through understanding their non-linear language, it unlocks a part of our mind that understands time differently and gives us the ability to access our entire lifespan at any moment. But most countries only hear the word “weapon” and begin to mobilize an attack. Which would have probably led to the entire destruction of our world. This scenario, believe me when I tell you, feels all too realistic.
Imagine all of the countries of this world and our leaders having to work together to keep peace while there’s something possibly dangerous literally hovering above? Imagine all of our leaders being able to accept not having control? Do you think they’d work it out? And as far as the rest of us are concerned, we can’t even agree to disagree on pineapple pizza (it rules).
It’s easy to dismiss Arrival as a non-horror film but on the realism scale it might actually be the scariest alien invasion movie of them all. Not because of them. But because of us.
Where It Lands
Arrival is an absolute rarity that manages to touch on aliens, politics, humankind and even time travel without dropping the ball. We haven’t even touched on the heart breaking story at the center of the film involving Louise’ daughter and the questions it asks of free will and destiny. I think it’s fair to call this Oscar nominated film the most mature alien movie of all time and if you’re like me? Still scary as hell. Mature scary, though. Like a night terror in a tuxedo.
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