To say that Contact is one of the best science fiction films I’ve ever seen is not hyperbole. This is a movie that I would happily put next to the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey as an incredible achievement in utilizing the sci-fi genre to tell a compelling story with poignant themes. Robert Zemeckis is usually hit or miss for me, but the Back to the Future director hit it out of the park with this one. 

Based on the 1985 novel of the same name by author and astronomer Carl Sagan, Contact tells the story of Dr. Ellie Arroway, played by Jodie Foster, a scientist who works for a program whose purpose is to search for extraterrestrial intelligence through satellite signals. Unfortunately, her program loses funding after a man named David Drumlin, the President’s chief science advisor (wonder if that role is still a thing with America’s current administration), deems the program futile. Understandably furious, Arroway goes off and begins unsuccessfully applying for grants until a secret billionaire gets her attention and funds her project. 

After four years of listening to radio static, Arroway finally discovers an odd signal from the star Vega, and off goes the global effort to decode the signal and find answers to what it means. What transpires is an engrossing hour of filmmaking that delves deep into how technology, science, and the thought of extraterrestrials affect global politics, media manipulation, and public psyches. There’s also this interesting theme surrounding religion, and how such a discovery affects our notion of faith.          

The third act of this movie is where some truly special moments occur, both in terms of the acting by Jodie Foster and some remarkable narrative beats that play with our understanding of spacetime, all emphasized through some incredible editing and visual effects. I won’t spoil anything, but just know that the entire third act left me very emotional and made me think about how our existence on this insignificant rock is special and should not be taken for granted.