Sci-fi and horror are two genres that never go out of fashion, and combining the two of them theoretically doubles the size of the potential audience. Things didn’t quite work out that way for 1996’s The Arrival, which bombed hard at the box office, but the unsung mashup of multiple elements has at least achieved minor cult classic status in the aftermath.
It could be set for a new wave of renewed popularity, though, with FlixPatrol revealing the sophomore directorial effort from future Riddick creator David Twohy has established first contact with the Netflix most-watched charts. It might take a hot minute for modern audiences to buy Charlie Sheen as an intrepid astronomer, but The Arrival has plenty up its sleeve for those who take the plunge.
The actor’s alliterative protagonist Zane Zaminski is fired from his job after discovering a radio transmission that originated from beyond the stars, forcing him to take matters into his own hands. Heading off to Mexico, he encounters a climate scientist studying local environmental anomalies, and their paths end up crossing in more ways than one.
The Arrival cribs bits and pieces from old school science fiction, body horror, Hitchockian intrigue, murder mystery, and plenty more, combining to form an above-average slice of cinematic escapism that’s a lot smarter than you might think based on the various parts required to bring it to life.
If you can ignore the sketchy CGI and leaps of narrative logic, then The Arrival is worth tracking down to scratch those sci-fi/horror itches.