I'm going to disagree with some of the other responses and say that the movie is almost completely unlike the short story. I greatly enjoyed both, but other tha

I'm going to disagree with some of the other responses and say that the movie is almost completely unlike the short story. I greatly enjoyed both, but other than the fact that they are both about a linguist learning a very unusual alien language there are very few similarities. [SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD] The short story is a very cerebral take on how language can (theoretically) change one's perception of the world and how learning a new language can make someone see the world differently. By the end of the short story Chiang has you, just a little bit, thinking in Heptapod B. Or at least trying to think about what that might be like. The movie, illogically in my view, treats learning Heptapod B like acquiring a superpower that lets you see the future. Having acquired this super power Louise (the main character) makes a difficult choice(1) in her personal life knowing full well both the positive and negative consequences of that choice. As a newish parent I found this deeply moving and it had me thinking a lot. The experience and cinematography of the move are also great and it's enjoyable for that alone if you're into movies as a sensory experience. (1) Some will say that it wasn't really a choice but this is my interpretation of the movie as different from the short story.