Encounter (a film mini-review by Mark R. Leeper and Evelyn C. Leeper).
‘Encounter’ begins by hinting that it is going to be a Science Fiction film about an alien invasion. The opening scenes suggest that something extraterrestrial may have arrived on Earth and Malik Khan, played by Riz Ahmed (‘Sound Of Metal’), appears convinced that a hidden threat is spreading through the population. He is determined to protect his two young sons from what he believes is an imminent danger.
However, as the story unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that the film is less interested in alien invasions than in Malik’s mental state. A former Marine suffering from PTSD, he is also deeply paranoid and much of the film’s tension comes from the audience trying to determine whether his fears have any basis in reality. The result is a road movie and family drama in which a troubled father effectively kidnaps his own children while attempting to save them from a threat that may exist only in his imagination.
Riz Ahmed gives a committed and sympathetic performance, helping to make Malik believable even when his actions become increasingly erratic. The young actors playing his sons also contribute considerably to the film’s emotional impact. Their growing uncertainty about whether to trust their father becomes one of the film’s strongest elements.
The problem is that the Science Fiction premise remains largely a framing device. The film repeatedly hints at larger mysteries and possible extra-terrestrial influences, but these play little part in the story’s ultimate direction. Viewers expecting a conventional alien invasion thriller may therefore find themselves disappointed. The film’s real concerns are trauma, family relationships and the difficulty of distinguishing reality from delusion.
That does not make ‘Encounter’ a bad film, merely a different one from the film its opening scenes appear to promise. Its strongest moments are those dealing with Malik’s relationship with his sons and the tragic consequences of his damaged state of mind. As science fiction it is slight; as a character study it is considerably more successful.
Released theatrically on 10th December 2021 and available for streaming on Amazon Prime.
Rating: +1 (-4 to +4), or 6/10.
Editor’s note: This review was one of four article found in the pending section of Mark R. Leeper’s account during a site tidy-up. Sadly, Mark passed away before he had the chance to give it his final edit and press publish. As one of the Internet’s longest-running film reviewers, Mark left behind an extraordinary body of writing, full of curiosity, precision, dry wit and a lifelong love of cinema. We are publishing this piece in that spirit, as one more small dispatch from a voice much missed by readers, friends and fellow travellers in Science Fiction fandom.
