Prime Time: Encounter (2021)

I think it's fair to start this review by saying that Encounter isn't a bad film. It really isn't. There are two things that affected my opinion of this. The first is a feeling of deja vu. Encounter feels so close to another movie, one from just over 15 years ago, that to discuss that film would spoil this. The second is to do with expectations. A film defying, or subverting, expectations can always be a good thing. It's just a shame when things turn into what feels like something much weaker than it could have been. 

Riz Ahmed plays Malik Khan, an ex-military man who turns up unexpectedly to take his sons away on a road trip. He's convinced that the planet is being invaded by aliens, but not your standard "greys" or Independence Day invaders. These aliens are bugs, parasites that get inside people and make them act out of character. The best way to stay safe is to keep spraying yourself with bug spray. Determined to keep himself and his kids safe, Malik turns to increasingly desperate measures. The threat is growing, and there are a number of people trying to track Malik's movements.

Although directed and co-written by Michael Pearce, Encounter feels strongly influenced by co-writer Joe Barton (who has written films as diverse as iBoy and The Ritual). Pearce definitely has a good eye, and he certainly creates some impressive atmosphere and tension throughout, but the underlying theme, that becomes much more clear in the second half of the film, is something that Barton has explored in a fair bit of his previous work.

Anyone who has watched any performance from Riz Ahmed over the past 10+ years will not need any convincing of his status as one of the best young actors around. His performance here does nothing to affect that status. What could have been overdone and irritating is, thankfully, believably intense and agitated by circumstances. It also helps that the two child actors (Lucian-River Chauhan and Aditya Geddada) do very good work in their strong supporting roles, and there is some limited screentime for the great Octavia Spencer, Rory Cochrane, and other people who fit well in their roles.

Having thought more on the film as a whole, there IS a third factor that affected my opinion. The first half feels as if it is cheating slightly in what is shown to viewers, the second half feels disappointing in how simple and unambiguous everything is. I may have found this a more satisfying viewing experience if Pearce had chosen one way to let things play out, but he seems unsure of himself. 

The technical side of things is decent, and scenes making use of insect imagery or potential parasitic threats are impressive, but this is a film that just isn't quite deserving enough of the lead performance at the centre of it. The main idea isn't supported as well as it could be, and the end result falls between two stools. It's not a bad film though. It just falls short of being very good.

6/10

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