Desperate to save his two young sons, Jay and Bobby, from a mysterious threat, decorated Marine Malik Khan (Riz Ahmed) packs them in a car and sets off on a perilous journey across the western U.S. But while racing toward a secret military base in Nevada that may hold the key to safety, the trio encounters danger at every turn. Staying one step ahead of a group of government agents, Malik and the boys find themselves bonding in unexpected ways.
As their relentless pursuers close in, and with time quickly running out, each of them must confront hard truths about the world, forcing Jay and Bobby to leave their childhoods behind. A gripping story of a father’s mission to keep his children safe at all costs, “Encounter” is at once a riveting thriller and a powerful drama about a family dealing with a seemingly unstoppable enemy.
Malik believes that there are aliens present in his life or at least that is what he tells his two sons whom his kidnaps from his ex-wife’s home. He has been to prison after his time in the Marines, but he’s no longer fit for productivity. He is most likely suffering from PTSD, as his parole officer, played by Octavia Spencer, tries to tell everyone. Because of his confusion, he takes his sons on a harrowing adventure, while lying to them about the reason that their mom and stepfather can’t come along.
The two young boys in this film are fantastic. They go along, hanging on by the seats of their pants, while enjoying the ride and on the other hand, scared to death about what road their dad will take them on next. In the meantime, the older son learns how to drive, which is helpful when the father needs medical help.
In the end, there’s a standoff, which unfortunately involves the older son, as well. “Encounter” is a great ride, even though it shows a veteran in distress and his sons at even more peril.
Directed by: Michael Pearce; written by: Joe Barton, Michael Pearce; and starring: Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, Rory Cochrane, Lucian-River Chauhan and Aditya Geddada.
“Encounter” comes to theatres on Friday, December 3, and Prime Video on December 10.
Take a look at the trailer: Encounter – Official Trailer | Prime Video – Bing video.
