The complicated changes in narration are successfully portrayed by the impressive cast, probably the greatest aspect of the film. The sources of tension change, but the anticipation and stress never go away. While it’s best to maintain the surprises unexplored for an enriching viewing experience, it is safe to say that Pearce maintains the themes of survival, mental health, and family bonds at the heart of the story. The alien bugs become secondary and now Malik must face human terrors as he tries to maintain Bobby and Jay in safety. The small family starts facing people that become obstacles: a police officer that stops them in the middle of the road, a man that shoots Malik when he is looking for help or white supremacists that go after them. While the first half of the story has the stress and urgency of films such as War of the Worlds (Steven Spielberg, 2005) or A Quiet Place (2018), the second half slowly evolves into a road-trip film where the threats become more tangible and immediate. Pearce uses everything at his reach to create fear and uncertainty while maintaining the film grounded in constant thematic evolutions. Just as with the previously mentioned Sound of Metal and this year’s The Killing of Two Lovers, the sound is an essential element of the film and the secret weapon that makes it work so well. This narrow point of view only intensifies the tension with sudden camera movements and an outstanding sound design. The tension is compacted and intimate, with Malik being the only one that reacts to the pressure of the alien invasion. The fact that the havoc is created by organisms that can be found anywhere and everywhere, adds a new layer of alert. His sci-fi film flirts with horror as he uses the current feeling of uneasiness in the real world to create more panic. He creates pandemonium through the incentive to use one’s imagination. With detailed and colorful animations, he explains the way the insects invade the cells. While the details of the world invasion are left unexplored, Pearce uses impressive visuals to illustrate the bug threat. Prepared, lethal, and determined, Malik sets out on his quest. Malik Khan (Ahmed) is a former Marine that has the mission of retrieving his two sons – Bobby (Aditya Geddada) and Jay (Lucian-River Chauhan) – to take them to a safe haven somewhere in the United States. In the Encounter’s scenario, the Earth has been invaded by microscopic organisms that latch onto humans, making them violent and irrational, and provoking utter chaos as the infected start flooding the streets. As with his previous film, nothing is what it seems, maintaining the audience at the edge of the seat with constant revelations that feel equally unexpected as shocking. After having an outstanding 2020 that included an Oscar nomination for his role in Sound of Metal, and multiple BIFAs for Mogul Mowgli and The Long Goodbye, Ahmed is back in the festival circuit with Encounter, a sci-fi film that distinguishes itself for its clever story and the family drama at its core.Ĭo-written and directed by Michael Pearce, who turned heads in 2017 with the psychological thriller Beast, Encounter maintains the sense of discomfort and suspicion that made of his directorial debut such a success (launching Jessie Buckley’s career and offering a new facet of the always affable Johnny Flynn). Synopsis: A decorated Marine goes on a rescue mission to save his two young sons from an inhuman threat. Stars: Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, Aditya Geddada, Lucian-River Chauhan.
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