The Arrival of Wang (2011)

Very well executed

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Pretty Good

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

It would be easy to be jaded about a film like this as we've all become so used to big-budget special effects, especially in fantascienza films. And, yes, it does meander a bit in the beginning before it starts getting interesting. But the performances of the main characters are spectacular, and there's a neat twist at the end of the movie that's worth waiting for, with some creative filming that may be low-budget but it stands out as fun and effective regardless. The version I watched was in Italian with no English subtitles, but I only have a smattering of Italian at my disposal, and I can say you don't need to be fluent in the language to understand what's happening. Like most good science fiction and fantasy, it's as much about human nature as anything else. I think it's worth the 80- minute investment for fans of the genre. It also proves that you don't need a billion dollars to make a decent science fiction film; it's not all about the bling.

When translator Gaia is contacted by a previous employer, he seems to be offering her nothing more than a simple job. Two thousand Euros for a day's work seems like a pretty good deal, but when the mysterious Curti insists she wear a blindfold to travel to their destination the suspicion sets in that this may be a little more than a simple translation gig. I shan't say anymore for fear of spoiling things, but my advice would be that if you intend to watch this film you avoid as much detail as possible. In fact, I'd advise you just stop reading and go watch the film now. For those of you who need a little more convincing then please read on, but you have been warned.While clearly a low budget picture, The Arrival of Wang is never the less a good example of how less can sometimes be more. This is most evident in the first two thirds of the film, where most of the action takes place in one room. Providing us with a disturbing glimpse into how we as a race are inclined to treat things that we do not understand, the film does a great job of contrasting Gaia's horror and compassion with Curti's distrust of, and hatred for, alien prisoner Wang, who has been discovered on the streets of Rome. Lead actress Francesca Cuttica does a great job as Gaia throughout, and her dread of what Curti is going to do as Wang continues to plead his innocence is palatable at points. Many have compared this film to the likes of The Twilight Zone and The X Files, but for me it has more in common with Neil Blomkamp's excellent alien flick District 9, playing on those same themes of fear and distrust for those who appear different.Of course, that's not to say this film is on the same level as that South African classic. The creature effects are passable when the alien is seated (and we are provided with some real expressions of fear and pain when he is under interrogation) but tend to fall apart when he is in motion. The direction is decent without ever being great, and the story feels a little rushed in place, crying out for a little more build up between the big reveal and more time to let the tension increase before the admittedly lacklustre last 15 minutes.Buoyed along by some good performances, a good script and some uncomfortable reminders of what probably awaits for ET should he ever decide to set foot on our little rock, The Arrival of Wang is a decent example of low budget Sci Fi done right. For fans of the genre, and anyone who likes their science fiction a little more ambiguous, it's definitely worth checking out.

I have never heard of The Arrival of Wang. The first I heard of it was on Film4 during the Frightfest season which they were having. Being quite the horror buff, I decided to give it a look on our very own IMDb only to find one review and zero description! It was clear to me that no one had seen it. However, seeing something without knowing nothing about it was an idea that sounded very appealing to me so I watched it without knowing nothing about it and what I got was a well done, low-budget and low-key thriller that offered something a little bit unique, but which is quite flawed.I won't go too much into the plot because knowing nothing about it is something that I found quite intriguing. You put yourself right in the main character's shoes, so you feel as confused and alienated as she does. She's a translator who gets a mysterious call to go and do some translating. That's really all you need to know about it. What unfolds is some compelling dialogue and bad CGI. If I told you that most of the film plays out in one room, then you'd be understandably turned off. However, you shouldn't be. I was never bored in The Arrival of Wang thanks to the unique premise and well-handled screenplay. As long as you keep open minded, you're sure to find something to enjoy. It's also quite thought-provoking.It's not all about talking though. There is also some well-executed scenes of thrills and tension which I shan't spoil for you. It's just a shame that this aspect wasn't used more because it added some much needed spice to the film. I felt like the whole thing ended too quickly and more could've been done. However, it's better to be too short than too long, right? There are also some seriously bad effects that are worth a mention. I know it's a low budget film, but they really shouldn't have included ambitious set-pieces if they knew that they couldn't pull them off. They could've at least tried to execute them with a bit of imagination and with as little CGI as possible.However, The Arrival of Wang is a film worth seeing. I've seen much worse mainstream films and at least it's never boring. It offers something different and it always had me interested. The final line of dialogue also hit me quite hard. It's a great ending which leaves you with something to ponder about. Some of the plot can be quite predictable, however I found it difficult to pin point how the film was going to end and it didn't disappoint. In short, if you get the chance to see The Arrival of Wang please do. You also get a special feeling of belonging to a very small cult of people who have actually seen it. I imagine only six people have seen it so far, so you could be the seventh!

Therefor I am not going to spoil the story for you. I'm not even going to touch the subject of genre (you can read that here on IMDb if you really want to though). But I will tell you this: If you are an avid fan of cinema and specifically of Korean cinema, than you might remember a movie that had a similar theme, but handled the whole thing better. That is not to say that this is a bad movie. Quite the opposite, this is quite good and has its moments.The actors are good, the effects are good too (for a low budget movie). The story is kinda predictable, the dialogue is good too (especially the last sentence that our female protagonist hears is terrific). The mentioned sentence was something the filmmakers had to fight for (producers didn't seem to like it, but believe me, it worked with the Frightfest audience!).