Echo Valley (2025)

Although I have seen at least one other film directed by Michael Pearce, I couldn't say that his name was one that I would be keeping an eye out for. The same goes for writer Brad Ingelsby. But give me a cast that includes Julianne Moore, Sydney Sweeney, Domhnall Gleeson, and Fiona Shaw and I'm happy to give up some of my time. This is why I eventually got around to watching Echo Valley.

Moore plays Kate Garretson, a woman who has given up almost everything in her life as she has struggled to help her daughter, Claire (Sweeney). Claire is an addict. She has cost her mother a lot of money over the years, and perhaps even created a weight that led to divorce from Richard (Kyle MacLachlan). It's hard with loved ones who are addicts though, which is why Kate once again hopes for things to turn out for the best when Claire arrives on her doorstep again. She's had a row with her latest boyfriend, Ryan (Edmund Donovan), but has also inadvertently thrown away some expensive "stock" that belonged to the very dangerous Jackie Lawson (Gleeson). 

While I wouldn't rush to recommend this to people, it's a worthwhile film that tries to balance two very different strands. One is an emotional, painful even, look at how much hurt can be inflicted by those ruled by addiction. The other is a straightforward and dark thriller, one that makes great use of Moore and Gleeson facing off against one another in a number of tense scenes. It's admirable that both Pearce and Ingelsby try to add a bit more substance to the standard thriller movie moments, but it's also obvious that the film works best in a third act that moves further into more standard and satisfying cinematic fare.

Moore is a great choice for the main role, delivering that combination of vulnerability and strength that she has shown in so many other roles. She's the one constant, trying to keep herself anchored as a few different characters do their best to untether her from a life that she has fought hard to create. Sweeney may not be doing her best work, but she's good at flipping between many different moods, depending on how good or bad she is feeling. Gleeson is decent when he gets to be properly menacing, although the script only gives him a couple of moments when he can show the real darkness of his soul. Although only onscreen for a couple of main sequences, Shaw makes a really strong and positive impression, playing the kind of good friend who will turn up and help deal with a crisis without asking too many questions.

It lacks a bit of impact, especially in a middle section that sets up a few plot points that don't all feel paid off by the time we get to the very end, but there's nothing here that I would single out as being bad. The performances all work, and the finale makes up for a lot of the minor flaws elsewhere. I was also happy that it was all wrapped up within 104 minutes, which felt like a nice change from the many movies that seem to need a minimum time commitment of two hours. 

7/10

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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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