Arrival

Arrival isn’t about aliens invading Earth; it’s about how language shapes human behaviour. The film supports Linguistic Relativity over Determinism, showing that language influences perception without fully controlling it. As Louise learns the aliens’ language, her understanding of time expands, proving that language can reframe reality rather than dictate it. The real danger isn’t the aliens, but human misunderstanding. China interprets the aliens’ message through a competitive, win-or-lose mindset, symbolised by Mahjong. When communication is framed around dominance and victory, ambiguity becomes a threat. Conflict emerges not from what the aliens say, but from how meaning is constrained by the frameworks humans use to interpret it.