"Arrival" is a film that left me blinking back tears in a darkened theater filled with the sound of unexpected sniffles. All aspects of the film, from the writing to the score, made it certainly one of the best films of 2016.

The cherry on top of this masterpiece was the incredible female protagonist. While in real life, powerhouse Amy Adam has to deal with interviews revolving around her choice of clothing, Dr. Louise Banks is a respected linguist who is recruited by the military to help find out the question that is naturally on everyone's' minds: Why are the aliens here?

Part of what drew Amy Adams to the role of Dr. Banks was the depth of the character, "I loved that it wasn't just that they said she was smart, she actually is smart. She gets to say things and speak from a place of passion."

It's not often a film has a female lead but also one who is well-respected in her field, breaks the Beckdale Test and features a hero who is compassionate while remaining strong.

The film does not take this amazing woman and try to fit her in the role of the masculine hero, but instead fully embraces the empathetic, intelligent character who is Dr. Banks. One of the most important relationships of the film is Dr. Banks connection with her daughter, yet Dr. Banks retains her own identity while still remaining a loving, committed mother.

Unfortunately, "Arrival" does have limited female characters although it makes sense in the setting. Another point I would like to mention is "Arrival" does have limited POC roles. However, I do recommend this film for audiences everywhere as it is a beautiful film that is incredibly well made and thought-provoking.