Encounter (2021) - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: Michael Pearce
Written by: Michael Pearce, Joe Barton
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, Janina Gavankar, Rory Cochrane, Lucian-River Chauhan, Aditya Geddada
Runtime: 108 min
Synopsis: A decorated Marine goes on a rescue mission to save his two young sons from a mysterious threat. As their journey takes them in increasingly dangerous directions, the boys will need to leave their childhoods behind.
I always state that I appreciate every single genre and subgenre. While that's unquestionably true, there are obviously some types of films that hit me in a much more impactful manner. Sci-fi remains one of my favorite genres, especially when it delves into alien invasions. From subversive takes (Arrival) to the action-driven blockbusters (The Tomorrow War), all carry a special aura that deeply fascinates me. Therefore, Encounter being a sci-fi thriller starring Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) and Octavia Spencer (Thunder Force), it expectedly attracted my attention, and despite not knowing Michael Pearce's previous work (Beast), I watched it with slightly high expectations.
Sadly, this is one of my biggest disappointments of the year. I didn't see trailers or anything besides the official poster, but honestly, I don't think it would have made any difference. I don't believe the trailer is misleading for moviegoers with a certain experience in interpreting the marketing campaigns of each studio. However, having in mind Encounter will most likely be seen by viewers at home through Amazon Prime Video, part of this audience will definitely feel cheated. Pearce and his co-screenwriter, Joe Barton (My Days of Mercy), try to mix a particular topic often seen in war movies with the supernatural, but unfortunately, it all feels incredibly underwhelming and extremely predictable.
Despite yet another remarkable lead performance from Ahmed, this film doesn't offer a creative version of a story viewers have seen hundreds of times before. Don't let my words trick you, Encounter is far from a disaster. It's still a decent movie with an emotionally compelling main narrative at its core and some suspenseful, well-filmed sequences. Nevertheless, its lack of character development and imagination leaves this film with just a couple of interesting elements. Even technically, I can't find a component that stands out, which could have at least elevated some moments of the movie where the viewers know exactly what's going to happen.
The cast is ultimately the saving grace. Ahmed continues to prove himself to Hollywood, demonstrating his undeniable talent and impressive range. Spencer has less screentime than I anticipated, but the experienced actress makes every second count. As for the young actors, Lucian-River Chauhan is actually quite good as Jay, although performances from kids always require some sort of light judgment. Outside of this, the "rescue mission" follows a gradually less exciting path, ending on a sweet note that won't impact viewers as much as it should since most would have already given up by then.
Final Thoughts
Encounter features good performances, but sadly, it fails to deliver a creative, captivating take on an "alien invasion" flick. Riz Ahmed tries his best to carry Michael Pearce's work to safe harbor, but the unsurprising, generic narrative lacks compelling character development to help the viewers reach the final act still interested about how everything's going to end. From a technical standpoint, no element stands out enough to bring the film up a notch. Almost everything about it feels copied from better movies, and its themes have been approached countless times before. If the filmmakers can't bring uniqueness to their story and characters, then the viewers will struggle to care about it...
