Box Office
Hit · 4.3xBudget$47M
Worldwide Gross$203.4M
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Arrival
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Arrival
movie·PG-13·Nov 11, 2016·
Box OfficeHit · 4.3x
$47M
Budget
$203.4M
Gross
Shop
Shop this title
Arrival
We may earn a commission from purchases through these links.
Search US stores by format. Check the title and edition before buying.
Explore Prime Video — Opens in a new tab
Catalog availability and subscription terms vary.
Arrival
movie
PG-13
November 11, 2016
Wokeometer Rating
1Based
Scale: 0 = not woke, 10 = maximally woke
TL;DR Verdict
Arrival earns a 1/10 woke score by adapting its 1998 source material into neutral sci-fi focused on language, time, and grief—without identity politics, oppression narratives, or forced diversity.
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Detailed Analysis
Arrival centers on linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) deciphering heptapod language to avert global conflict, with the core premise drawn directly from Ted Chiang's 1998 short story 'Story of Your Life.' The narrative explores linguistic relativity, nonlinear time perception, grief over a daughter's death, and personal agency in reproduction, without any framing around identity politics, systemic oppression, or critiques of traditional norms.
The original story already features a female protagonist, so Adams' casting involves no gender-swapping of established characters, and supporting roles like Forest Whitaker's Colonel and Tzi Ma's General Shang align with the international military setting rather than DEI mandates.
Key Factors
- Female lead and international cast follow source material and plot logic with no established-character alterations
- Themes of communication, time, and unity are philosophical and genre-conventional, not activist messaging on patriarchy or identity
- Creator statements and adaptation changes emphasize emotional and conceptual depth over political intent, with zero audience or critic labeling as 'woke'
Methodology: Each score synthesizes audience discourse, critic and aggregator reception, and press coverage — weighed against the work itself, not any single source.
Detailed BreakdownPro
Identity Politics & Racial Essentialism
Gender Ideology & LGBTQ+ Themes
DEI Casting & Representation Mandates
Preachiness & Message-First Agenda
Corporate & Creator Activism
See how this title scores across all 5 woke subcategories with detailed explanations.
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Is Arrival Woke?
We've run a full content analysis on Arrival and scored it 1/10 on the woke scale. Read our detailed breakdown above to see exactly what we found.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of woke content is in Arrival?
Our analysis checks for themes like identity politics, race-swapping, gender ideology, environmental activism, anti-religious messaging, and other progressive agenda elements. The score breakdown above shows which specific categories were flagged and how heavily they factor into Arrival's overall score.
Is Arrival family-friendly?
Wokeometer focuses on ideological content rather than traditional ratings (violence, language, etc.). Arrival is rated PG-13. For a full picture, combine our woke analysis with the age rating to decide if it's right for your family.
How does Wokeometer score movies?
We evaluate media across multiple ideological categories on a 0–10 scale. Scores of 0–3 mean story-first, 4–6 have moderate elements, and 7–10 flag heavily agenda-driven content. Learn more about our methodology →
