Apr 13 at 2:58pm
Positives
The quality of production here is intensely good—seriously impressive work. The editing, pacing, and audio blending create a strong emotional atmosphere that mirrors the film beautifully.
Incredibly creative and moving. There’s a real sense of artistic vision here, which is rare and exciting in an academic project.
Excellent film choice—Arrival is haunting and layered, and you really tap into that.
Starting with the uncanny was a powerful move. It set the tone and invited viewers to think philosophically from the beginning.
The use of critics’ reviews to explore your idea of frisson is smart and compelling—it brings in outside voices while keeping the focus on your interpretation.
I loved that the synopsis was dispersed and returned to at the end. It created a nonlinear experience that echoed the film’s structure. Your intentional mirroring of Arrival’s storytelling method was thoughtful and effective.
The way you bring in Taylor’s idea of the porous self as a response to suffering is beautiful and profound. That interpretive move shows real philosophical engagement.
Areas for Improvement
There are a lot of ideas moving quickly through this video. Slowing down just a bit—or selecting a few key ideas to develop more fully—could help your audience stay with you the whole way.
While I personally appreciated the nonlinear structure, some of your peers might benefit from a bit more grounding at the beginning. Even just a quick scene-setting sentence or two could give enough context for your analysis to shine more clearly. Still, in the end, I’m glad you chose artistic integrity over an easy answer for your peers. Five stars!
When it comes to Taylor and the porous self—how much of the connection you make is directly from Taylor, and how much is your own insight? If it’s your synthesis, that’s awesome, but it’s worth signaling clearly where you’re building on him and where you’re going beyond.
Overall
This is a stunning piece of work—philosophically rich, emotionally intelligent, and artistically ambitious. You’ve made a video that’s not only about Arrival, but that feels like a companion piece to Arrival. That’s a rare feat. This could easily stand alongside professional-level video essays. Wonderful job.