Encounter

"Nothing bad's gonna happen to you when I'm around."

Riz Ahmed's filmography is fascinating and it's a safe bet these days that if he's chosen to commit to a script than there's something a little different about it. 

This is a really hard film to talk about without going into spoiler territory. Essentially it's about Malik (Ahmed) who scoops up his kids Jay and Bobby in the middle of the night. Alien parasites have landed on Earth and are controlling people so Malik is determined to save his kids before then saving the world. 

Really this is a film about the relationship between a father and his sons. It turns out that Malik was a marine who was discharged dishonourably and had actually been an absent father because he was in prison. His sons worship him nonetheless but they struggle to deal with a man who doesn't really know how to look after them. Ahmed and the two kids are centre stage for the majority of the film and they really feel like a family unit. Ahmed is always fantastic but I think he's matched by the young Lucian-River Chauhan who plays Jay and surely has a bright future ahead of him.

Without going into too much detail, the film doesn't go where you might expect it to. The moment things change is superb and takes your breath away. However, on reflection I wonder if the moment comes far earlier than it really needs to be. It's sudden drop lacks subtlety and means most of the second half of the film feels like filler before reaching the dramatic climax. It felt to me like a decision was made to go with the shock value which I'm not sure what the right way to go- it works in the moment but lessens the impact of the second half. 

There are some really nice details in the script that I liked. One moment where Malik comes face to face with a redneck adds some interesting racial tension- indeed, it's great to see this sort of role go to a guy who isn't white as it certainly makes many parts of the script more interesting. Similarly Octavia Spencer's character is generally looked down upon by the people she is working with- it's a subtle statement on the way professional women, especially those of colour, are often treated. 

A fascinating idea with some creepy moments and yet another great performance from Riz Ahmed. I just wish it traded shock value for subtlety.