Can moderating speech stifle academic research? Is it feasible to apply a centralized military framework to a research operation when results are time-critical?
What does Arrival have to say about secrecy? In the dire straights portrayed by the film, were the US, Chinese, and Russian teams impeding research development by witholding such important products of Intellectal Property?
To what extent can a governing body invade one's personal privacy under the guise of security? What effect can mass surveillance have on a population, and how did that stifle research efforts by Dr. Banks and her team?
When communication and transparency breaks down, how does crime affect the global process? If seizures of power like General Shang's ultimatum, Russia's assassination of its researchers, or Captain Marks' mutiny didn't occur, how would the film differ?
How reliant had the research team become as the film progressed? What if the technology developed by the US team was inaccurate? If Agent Halpern had fatally shot Dr. Banks during her rebellion, what could that have meant as far as lost knowledge?
Just how much of a disadvantage did the smaller players in Arrival have compared to the rest of the research teams in the film? How much could Sudan and Venezuela have contributed if they had the access that the US, China, and Russia had?