Ahmed is impressive, but can’t save “Encounter”
Rated R. 108 minutes. In theaters (Dec. 10 on Prime). ★★55
Riz Ahmed’s Malik Khan awakens in a motel room and quickly checks his eyes with a flashlight and a mirror. Relieved by what he doesn’t see, he soon covers his body with an aerosol spray.
He’s worried about bugs. And seemingly with good reason. As the opening moments of the film “Encounter” suggest to us, these are insects of an extraterrestrial origin.
Soon enough, a grotesque little creature comes through the wall, followed by more and them. It’s time for Malik to pack up and leave.
We must state that “Encounter” is a difficult film about which to write.
Whatever the concerns of filmmaker Michael Pearce — who developed the film from a spec script by Joe Barton (“The Ritual”) — had while making the film, counted among them wasn’t how critics would discuss this story in depth.
On its surface, “Encounter” is about a Marine, Malik, trying to save his young sons from this alien infestation, taking the pair on a road trip to a secret base in Nevada where a cure is being developed.
For most of its runtime, however, the movie is … something else. Could we say? Sure. However, neither the film’s trailer nor its production notes reveal much more than its initial plot, and we want to take our lead from them.
We can say Malik has been away from his kids for years as they live with their mother (Janina Gavankar, “The Way Back”) in Southern California, and we see her get an insect bite early on in the movie.
While he’s been away on a mission, Malik has been writing letters to Jay (Lucian-river Chauhan) and Bobby (Aditya Geddada) — who appear to be about 12 and 8, respectively — in which he’s apologized for being away and said how much he looks forward to seeing them again.
It isn’t long into their journey before Malik has a run-in with a cop, Malik deciding to attack the officer after seeing the telltale sign of alien infection in his eyes.
It will not be his only violent confrontation with another man.
He has an ally, at least of a sort, in Hattie Hayes (Octavia Spencer), whom he calls en route to Nevada.
The talented Spencer (“The Help,” “Hidden Figures”) appears only sporadically in “Encounter,” which is disappointing.
However, we can’t second guess the choice to give so much screen time to Ahmed, who has shown that he is one of the best actors of the moment.
That he is such a talent goes a long way in ‘Encounter,” but, unfortunately, not far enough. It is a pleasure to watch Ahmed work, but that doesn’t change the fact that Malik falls a little flat as a character. For “Encounter” to work, we need to be more invested in Malik than the story allows.
The film is the follow-up to Pearce’s 2017 Baftawinning debut “Beast,” and in it, the director touches on some important issues. However, for reasons already discussed, we’ll have to leave it at that.
There is plenty to appreciate about “Encounter,” from the performance by Ahmed to the subject matter it addresses to its genre-bending nature.
And the tiptoeing reviewers would have to do when writing about it certainly need not have been among Pearce’s chief concerns.
Still, an encounter with this film need not be on your to-do list during this busy time.