Dig all you want, i just wanna say that I am in the completely opposite camp. Minimal action is my jam from Villeneuve. The more like Arrival the better. IMO he is a master at just setting up vibes and tension. I could probably watch three hours of desert landscape shots if directed by him.

I can almost assure you that the second half of the book and thus the second movie is gonna be a lot more of what you are looking for though.