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Encounter is a 2021 science fiction movie directed by Michael Pearce and starring Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, and Lucian-River Chauhan. The story revolves around Malik Khan (Ahmed), a military veteran who is struggling with PTSD and trying to reconnect with his estranged wife and two sons. One day, Malik picks up his kids Jay (Chauhan) and Bobby (Lyric Justice) from school and takes them on a road trip. However, things quickly turn strange and scary when they find themselves pursued by mysterious forces.

The movie begins with Malik being released from a psychiatric hospital, where he has spent years recovering from his combat trauma. He is desperate to reconnect with his family, but he finds that his wife has remarried and his sons no longer trust him. Nevertheless, Malik is determined to make amends, and he takes his boys on a cross-country trip to the Grand Canyon.

As they hit the road, Malik gradually becomes aware that something is not right. He is haunted by vivid nightmares of aliens and mind control, and he begins to fear that he is being followed. His paranoia only grows when he sees strange lights hovering in the sky and hears bizarre noises that seem to be coming from his own mind.

These experiences culminate in an encounter with an alien species, which Malik believes is trying to communicate with him. He becomes convinced that the aliens are benevolent and want to help humanity, but he struggles to make sense of their cryptic messages.

Meanwhile, Malik's son Jay is also having strange experiences. He begins to have psychic visions of the aliens, and he becomes convinced that they have a secret plan for humanity. Jay's visions lead him and his father on a dangerous journey, as they try to decipher the aliens' intentions and protect themselves from the forces that are pursuing them.

Throughout the movie, there are themes of family, redemption, and the power of belief. Malik is a sympathetic character who is struggling to overcome his trauma and reconnect with his family. Jay is a precocious and brave child who has a deep intuition about the world around him. Octavia Spencer plays a brief but powerful role as a government agent who is trying to track down the alien threat.

The movie's cinematography is stunning, with beautiful shots of the American desert and eerie lighting that creates a sense of foreboding. The score is also effective, with ominous tones that build suspense and underscore the emotional journey of the characters.

Overall, Encounter is a thrilling and thought-provoking science fiction movie that explores the nature of belief and the power of the unknown. It is anchored by strong performances from Riz Ahmed and Lucian-River Chauhan, and it offers a fresh take on familiar themes of alien abduction and government conspiracy. Fans of science fiction and psychological thrillers will find much to enjoy in this engaging and well-crafted film.

Encounter is a 2021 science fiction movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 48 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.9 and a MetaScore of 57.