Encounter (2018) Reviews

• Something special

  projectmercury2019-03-10

  ENCOUNTER is a little gem of a film. It manages to tell a very compelling and satisfying sci-fi story while leaving plenty to think about well after the end credits roll. Clearly written and directed by an enthusiast of both science-fiction movies and literature, it gently twists classic tropes and plays with the audiences expectations. Leading the ensemble cast is Luke Hemsworth (HBO's WESTWORLD), who does a fine job pulling us into the very grounded world of ENCOUNTER. Along with co-stars Anna Hutchison (THE CABIN IN THE WOODS) and Tom Atkins (HALLOWEEN III) as well as a number of others recognizable faces, the credibility of the film is supported by their well-defined characters that feel "real" with everyday problems and flowing non-pretentious dialogue even though they find themselves in a "fantastic" situation. The participation of Tom Atkins, known to cinema lovers for his performances in LETHAL WEAPON, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, CREEPSHOW and many other cult movie makes the movie that much more special. Used to playing "tough guys", we get to see his softer side playing a kindly Professor pulled into the bizarre events. The movie concerns itself with a number of human themes, especially the pain of loss and how we deal with grief and the film unfolds in a sober and flowing way giving time for the dynamics of the group of characters to really shine. Writer/Director Paul J Salamoff wisely takes a "less is more" approach to the FX and relies on limited Practical and CGI to get the point across. It's clear that ENCOUNTER is more concerned with the way the fantastical events shape the characters than the fantastic itself. The movie was made on a modest budget, but it doesn't feel that way. Salamoff has clearly taken great pains to make something special with what he had to work with. He's made a film that embraces those limitations and it makes ENCOUNTER worth a visit.

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• Yet another upvote by cast and crew

  Netjer-y-khet2019-01-20

  This movie is completely rotten. The acting is woeful and there doesn't seem to be a coherent story line at all. The props and scenes are reminiscent of a truly ancient Dr Who episode. There are things going on in the movie that simply wouldn't happen in a real situation like that portrayed. I'd say what they are but then I'd have to mark this as a spoiler. In the end, the ten 10/10 scores for this rubbish can't possibly be genuine. Give this trash a wide berth and instead of spending money on it, give a donation to your favourite charity.

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• Had promise but fell short

  fcspikeit2019-01-20

  The acting was pretty good considering how bad the script was at times. The overall story was predictable and never really went anywhere. I gave it a 4 out of 10 because it was interesting enough to watch to the end but I wouldn't have missed out if I never started it.

• Why the bad reviews?

  robot03402019-02-26

  I found it captivating and well done. I'm 69 years old and not a fool and this had all the earmarks of a very good movie due to the fact it didn't need gore, violence, sex and unreal cgi to make it that way.

• Amazing

  mhudders-601432019-03-10

  I can't believe there is 3.7/10 rating on this.. We couldn't keep our eyes off of it cause it was so interesting.. We thought it was an amazing movie..