The Arrival

Play trailer

2:02

The Arrival

PG-13

1996

1h 55m

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

44%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

After astronomer Zane Zaminsky discovers a radio transmission that originated from space, he tells his boss, Phil, who ignores him. Zane is promptly fired, and decides to investigate the signal himself. When he discovers a return radio transmission from Mexico, he goes to explore. There he meets climate scientist Ilana Green, who is studying anomalies in gases in the area. Zane soon makes a finding that puts him in great danger.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Stylish and inventive, The Arrival offers a surprisingly smart spin on the alien invasion genre.

Read Critics Reviews

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Feb 9, 2006

What it lacks in sophistication (everything), it partly makes up for in sheer gall.

Go to Full Review

Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

Jun 18, 2002

3/4

It's a strong, lean piece of writing that moves quickly. Nothing is wasted, and nothing happens the way you'd expect.

Go to Full Review

Stephen Holden

New York Times

Jan 1, 2000

A movie that shoehorns a blunt warning into its silly but entertaining story of a young radio astronomer's one-man battle against sinister extraterrestrials.

Go to Full Review

Mal Vincent

The Virginian-Pilot

Feb 25, 2022

2.5/4

E.T. would find it false propaganda, but for fans of the genre, it's standard sci-fi with all the needed ingredients.

Go to Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Sep 9, 2020

6/10

The film starts to fall apart at the introduction of the aliens themselves, which suffer from dated special effects and an immediate aura of disbelief.

Go to Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Feb 13, 2017

B

The CGI alien special effects are only so-so, but the film is rich in ideas, well-executed and is pleasingly entertaining even if silly.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Atilla T

@Treviewd1nce Sep 19, 2026

Hollywood should stay out of lives and be in the business of entertaining. Environmentalism loses integrity through Hollywood. Environmentalism is a practice of real science and too complicated for Hollywood.

See more

Jeux T

@RT23605591 Aug 30, 2026

Not bad but not good to ! Still love the 90s scifi movies though!

See more

James M

@LizardKing75 Jun 28, 2026

A surprisingly good flick, not the best Sci-fi, but very far from the worst.

See more

c W

@RT09825594 Jun 27, 2026

It's a fun watch with a few creative elements.

See more

Adam K

@SunsetLonerCinema May 11, 2026

On paper, its a Hitchcockian concept done as a B movie while leaning into paranoid thrillers like The Parallax View and the popularity of The X-Files. Budgetary limits and the lack of believability with Charlie Sheen in the main role make it a bit lackluster, but its got an intriguing enough concept to make a watchable and somewhat memorable forgotten genre piece from the summer of 1996.

See more

Erin M

@Mightymotes May 9, 2026

Underrated sci-fi thriller, where Charlie Sheen is once again excellent as the lead actor! Interesting and engaging storyline,and the off the rails hero of the film comes out on top against all odds, which was a pleasant surprise!!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

David Twohy

Director

Charlie Sheen

Zane Zaminsky

Ron Silver

Phil Gordian

Lindsay Crouse

Ilana Green

Teri Polo

Char

Richard Schiff

Calvin

View more videos

The Invasion

21%

40%

The Invasion

Watchlist

Project Almanac

38%

45%

Project Almanac

Watchlist

Super 8

81%

75%

Super 8

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Super 8

Knowing

34%

42%

Knowing

Watchlist

Midnight Special

84%

67%

Midnight Special

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Midnight Special

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Arrival: Trailer 1

2:02

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

After astronomer Zane Zaminsky discovers a radio transmission that originated from space, he tells his boss, Phil, who ignores him. Zane is promptly fired, and decides to investigate the signal himself. When he discovers a return radio transmission from Mexico, he goes to explore. There he meets climate scientist Ilana Green, who is studying anomalies in gases in the area. Zane soon makes a finding that puts him in great danger.

Director: David Twohy
Producer: Thomas G. Smith, David Twohy, Jim Steele, Melissa Cira Taylor
Screenwriter: David Twohy
Production Co: Live Entertainment, Mediaworks, Steelwork Films
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 2, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.1M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings