ENCOUNTER (2021) – Review

The holiday season is often a festive time for families, with lots of parties and out-of-town guests. But what about those families that are fractured and splintered? That’s one of the subjects explored in this new feature drama that’s out right between the two big special days near the end of the year. And speaking of “the end” that’s just what this now single father is obsessed with. I mean really fixated. Which may have been acerbated by the dissolution of his family and the separation from his sons. But he’s got something of a plan, a rescue that’s more of an abduction. So, when this trio goes on the run, just what will they ENCOUNTER?

The opening scenes of this story are told through the eyes and actions of a man on the run, dishonorably discharged soldier, and parolee Malik Khan (Riz Ahmed). He views lights shooting through the skies, perhaps meteors or asteroids that carry microscopic invaders that are spread to the human race by the insect world (mainly mosquitos). In his squalid home, Malik squashes crawling bugs while dousing himself with aerosol repellant. He packs a bag with cans of spray, clothes, and his pistol before hitting the road for…. Cut to the house where his ex-wife Piya (Janina Gavankar) lives with their two sons, pre-teen Jay (Lucian-River Chauhan) and first-grader Bobby (Aditya Geddada), along with her new beau Dylan (Misha Collins). Bobby seems to have formed a bond with his soon-to-be stepdad while Jay has contempt for him, voraciously reading the few letters from papa Malik. Late that evening Malik sneaks into their bedroom, waking them up with the promise of a great adventure on the road. While Piya and Dylan are locked in the garage, the trio drives off into the darkness, as Malik uses a map to plot the fastest way to the “base”. After a meal stop, he tells the boys he has to check in with the said base. Instead, he places a call to his parole officer Hattie (Octavia Spencer). The brief call sends her to the local somewhat disinterested authorities. But when Malik has a violent episode with a law officer, the FBI. led by “Shep” West (Rory Cochrane), scoop up Hattie for info. Can they track Malik down before he does serious harm to the public, himself, or more importantly, the two youngsters?

The role of the troubled father is another in a growing list of impressive performances by the talented Ahmed (whose voice can also be heard in the recent animated documentary FLEE, which he co-produced). He balances a parent’s protective nature, often shielding the youngest from danger, with a state of heightened anxiousness. At times he’s fervent in his “mission’, but his tenuous grasp on reality will try to derail his mania. Malik dearly loves his kids, but his psychological trauma won’t permit him to be “all there” with them. Ahmed conveys this with his stiff body language, labored breathing, and laser-focused glare. The only person that can calm him is Hattie, played with maternal empathy by Spencer. She wants no harm to come to Malik but realizes that he’s got to be “reeled in”, for the kids’ safety. Spencer’s sad eyes tell us that she’s seen this story of mental illness played out before, with a heartbreaking conclusion. The two young actors are surprisingly good, with no cloying cuteness, but feel real and natural. Geddada as Bobby is still the wide-eyed innocent, full of wonder and eager to get past the “baby’ stage. He’s comfortable with Dylan, but is ready to bond with Malik. Chauhan still holds him up as a hero, but his loyalty wavers as he begins to question his father’s “quest”. Cochrane is also strong as the “hangdog’ Shep, who’s doing his best to prevent a tragic outcome, as he fights his own tired pessimism.

Director/co-writer (with Joe Barton) Michael Pearce imbues the opening sequences with a unique visual style utilizing vibrant micro-photography enhanced by CGI effects and animation to bring us into Malik’s paranoid delusions (he’s living an SF conspiracy). Later on, Pearce gives us a beautiful road trip by day, then morphing into a dangerous hellscape by night, with death lurking past every curve of the pavement. Unfortunately, the story veers into action-cliche territory as many leaps of logic lead to “showdowns” and ‘shootouts”. And before the big finale several characters behave in a way to goes against previous behaviors, mainly to ratchet up the tension for the big third act resolution. But despite the script “glitches”, this talented acting ensemble makes for a most compelling and emotional ENCOUNTER.

3 Out of 4

ENCOUNTER opens in select theatres and streams exclusively on Amazon Prime beginning on Friday, December 10, 2021.