Parents' Guide to Encounter

This sci-fi thriller sets you up for a certain kind of movie, only for it to then veer in a different direction leaving you to readjust your settings. It's a clever trick employed by Encounter's director and co-writer Michael Pearce and one that will take you by surprise depending on how much you've read or been told. The always excellent Ahmed takes center stage. Once again he proves his worth, this time as Malik, a man on the edge but who has a clear love for his sons, even if his judgment is out of sync. But Ahmed is also supported by two wonderful young actors in Chauhan and Geddada as Malik's sons. The chemistry between the three of them, be it as a trio or just as a duo, is both convincing and warm. They quarrel, they laugh. They fight, they stand up for one another. It's a realistic portrayal of families the world over.

The barren landscapes at times feel other worldly, surely a deliberate move by Pearce. And there's also other subtle hat tips to sci-fi classics such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind. If you're looking for negatives, Octavia Spencer feels somewhat underused in her role as, Hattie, the one person Malik trusts. Her naivety also running at odds with her credentials and professionalism. The fact that she and Ahmed are restricted to conversing on the phone as opposed to face to face feels like a missed opportunity. But then that may well have taken away from what is essentially a story about two sons and their father, and how although his mental health may impact their relationship it doesn't take away the love and affection between them.