12 Sep TIFF REVIEW – ‘Encounter’ is far deeper and intelligent than first appearances

As an ardent fan of Riz Ahmed of more than 15 years, the rave response to his revelatory performance in 2020’s Sound of Metal was something I felt was long overdue. For more than a decade, Ahmed has been a consistently underrated performer in films like Four Lions, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and Nightcrawler. After his first Oscar nomination last year, the film industry finally appears to be paying attention. As such, it should come as no surprise to learn Ahmed delivers another mesmerising turn in co-writer-director Michael Pearce‘s genre-bending Encounter.

A film that’s far deeper and intelligent than first appearances, it’s difficult to discuss Encounter without venturing into spoiler territory. Pearce and co-writer Joe Barton blend a sci-fi paranoia thriller with a gorgeous father-son narrative to craft something completely unexpected. Both an intimate character study that packs a huge emotional punch and a wild cat-and-mouse chase that will keep you on your toes, Encounter is as thrilling as it is heartbreaking.

Ahmed plays Malik Khan, a decorated Marine with ten tours for his country under his belt. Upon his return home, Malik begins a covert mission to save humanity from extraterrestrial parasitic bugs that have landed on Earth and are infecting humans to use as hosts. Desperate to save his sons, Jay (a terrific Lucian-River Chauhan) and Bobby (Aditya Geddada) from this plague, Malik kidnaps the young boys from their potentially infected mother, Piya (Janina Gavankar) and stepfather, Dylan (Misha Collins) in the middle of the night.

As the trio set off for an army base somewhere in the Nevada desert, Malik reconnects with his estranged sons who’ve clearly been missing their beloved father. But as Malik’s paranoia begins to grow and a government manhunt to rescue the children gains closer on his tail, the Marine vet’s behaviour becomes increasingly erratic. The only one who may save them all is Hattie Hayes (Octavia Spencer), a figure from Malik’s tortured life and the only person he can trust.

Encounter plays out like your typical body-snatcher sci-fi thriller in its opening stretches, echoing films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Faculty. The idea of something alien invading our planet and taking control of its citizens isn’t exactly a new concept, but Pearce draws you into this mystery with lashings of intrigue and tension. Questions remain unanswered as Malik makes his daring “rescue” you can’t help but find yourself entirely invested in.

It’s here where the film deviates into the road trip genre as we watch Malik and his two young sons reconnect and actually enjoy the fun that comes with the freedom of the open road. But Malik’s suspicions of everyone around him constantly break the familial levity as the severity of the potential alien threat continues to rear its ugly head. Dangers abound at every stop and Pearce crafts a series of intense sequences that will have you holding your breath.

As endearing and paternal as Malik may be, it’s never far from your mind he’s an unreliable protagonist. After years of deployment in chaotic conflicts, Malik is clearly suffering PTSD and once the details of his backstory are fleshed out, you begin to question the journey he’s drawn his sons into. While it’s true Pearce drops the ambiguity around Malik’s state of mind a touch too early, it sets the film up for a third act charged with high emotions and a conclusion that might leave you with tears pooling in your eyes.

It’s ultimately Ahmed’s gripping performance that holds this film together and stops it from completely spiralling out of control. Ahmed carries this film with the deft confidence he brings to every film. It’s the first time he has played a father, yet it’s a role he slips into effortlessly. Ahmed’s chemistry with his two young co-stars is incredibly earnest and charming, suggesting this is the type of role he should be seeking out in the future.

Malik is an unstable individual with a short temper and unpredictable mood shifts, but Ahmed grounds every manic action in a father’s fierce determination to protect his children at all costs. At any moment, Malik can turn from a caring father to a brutish aggressor, but Ahmed finds the pathos in a psyche damaged from the horrors of war. It’s in Ahmed’s wildly expressive eyes where you see Malik’s trauma. There’s a darkness to this character that can be terrifying, but Ahmed brings so much humanity and empathy to someone who’s clearly not in total control of their dangerous behaviour.

As Malik’s eldest son, Chauhan manages to completely hold his own against Ahmed, which is no easy task. In his feature film debut, Chauhan delivers a wonderful performance as a conflicted child who wants to believe his father is a hero but is also wise enough to know there are signs of concern. As Malik’s behaviour becomes more unstable, Jay’s scepticism and fear of his father grows. The raw emotion Chauhan infuses into his work is truly palpable.

With the sweet naivete and precociousness of youth, Geddada is entirely adorable as the younger brother who can’t help but see his father as anything less than a warrior. And, naturally, his playfulness offers some much-needed levity to the film at just the right times. Spencer is used sparingly, but Hattie is ultimately the one voice of reason in all this chaos. As always, she brings gravitas and heart to a small role that still leaves a large impression.

While Encounter lags slightly towards the middle, Pearce knows how to blend a tight, suspenseful thriller with a beautiful, touching family drama to create something entirely compelling. There’s bubbling subtext on the treatment of returning veterans and the often ignored crisis of PTSD that follows them home. But the true heart of this film is a father’s quest to protect his children. Ahmed’s sublime performance is worth the price of admission alone, but there’s so much more to this film than meets the eye.