(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

In many of the biggest science fiction franchises, conversing with alien races is an absolute doddle. In " Star Trek ", universal translators come as standard, while C-3PO has spent the last 49 years reminding everyone in "Star Wars" that he's fluent in over six million forms of communication.

But in "Arrival" — which was released 10 years ago in November 2016 — making first contact proves to be rather more challenging than maintaining your Duolingo streak. In fact, working out how to establish a dialogue with extraterrestrial visitors becomes the whole point of this powerful and heartbreaking story, as the fate of planet Earth hinges on the interpretation of a single noun.

The film's journey to the big screen began when a screenwriter best known for his work on horror franchises such as "Final Destination", "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "The Thing" read a short story in an online magazine.…