A recent article at The Ringer pointed out that one of the reasons movies like the recent Ben-Hur remake has failed is because movies that once had the upper hand on spectacle of epic (biblical) proportions no longer have a corner on the market.  That and such movies often seem to try and NOT be big image movies.  While I’m not totally convinced, it is an interesting thing to reflect on.  Others might cite the failure of Independence Day: Resurgence as a reminder that bigger no longer means better.

Which brings me to the recent trailer for Arrival, an upcoming science fiction story starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner.  It is a visually stunning trailer, mostly because of its sparse approach to spectacle.  I love what they do with the “ships.”  Simple and yet stark against the beautiful landscape.

It will be interesting to see if the movie can transcend our lowered expectations of alien arrival movies.  It’s a story we see retold every few months, it seems.  Based on this trailer, though, I think we can be at least a tad bit hopeful.

Arrival hits theaters November 11th.