What is Arrival's IQ Score?

Arrival has an IQ Score of 179/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient framework, placing it in the Masterclass tier. The score breaks down to 49/50 Cognitive Stimulation, 39/50 Educational Value, and 46/50 Craft & Quality.

Is Arrival educational?

Arrival is strong on educational value, 39/50 on TVI's rubric, which covers academic content, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, life skills, and knowledge transfer.

How does TV Intelligentsia calculate IQ Score?

TV Intelligentsia's IQ Score is calculated as round((Cognitive Stimulation × 0.4 + Educational Value × 0.35 + Craft & Quality × 0.25) × 4), scoring titles from 0 to 200 across five tiers: Masterclass (≥160), Stimulating (≥130), Competent (≥100), Passive (≥70), and Numbing (<70). The framework is published at tvintelligentsia.com/methodology/.

Arrival , IQ Score 179/200

Arrival has an IQ Score of 179/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient rubric, placing it in the Masterclass tier.

By Jordan Robinson, MD, MPH·Updated 2026-06-17·Methodology

sci-fidrama

179/ 200

Masterclass TVI Essential

Measurably increases domain knowledge or cognitive capacity

Arrival poster, IQ Score 179/200, Masterclass tier on TV Intelligentsia

Score Breakdown

Cognitive Stimulation/50

Educational Value/50

Craft & Quality/50

Cinematic Score/50

IQ = round((Cognitive × 0.4 + Educational × 0.35 + Craft × 0.25) × 4) · How we score →

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Why you should trust this score

Scored under Jordan Robinson, MD, MPH

Physician and founding editor. Maintains the adult catalog against the published rubric and reviews the rubric application.

Methodology

Published rubric, v1.2

Formula

round(C × 0.40 + E × 0.35 + Q × 0.25) × 4

Database scale

2,338 titles, version-controlled

TVI Canon

Denis Villeneuve →

How we stay independent. We accept no studio money. We pay for our own streaming subscriptions. Our reviewers see no sponsor data, no affiliate revenue, and no screener access in exchange for coverage. More about how we work →

TVI Essential · Consensus

Arrival scores 179/200 on the TVI IQ Score, placing it in the Masterclass tier. A linguist learns an alien language that changes how speakers perceive time. Educational value from the linguistic premise and the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, earning Cultural Impact, Intellectual Substance, and Lasting Significance. TVI Essential is an editorial designation; IQ Score is a content rating, not an intelligence measurement.

The TVI Take

A linguist learns an alien language that changes how speakers perceive time. Educational value from the linguistic premise and the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

Cognitive engagement from the gradual understanding. Entertainment balanced with emotional weight.

Where to Watch

Stream