Encounter movie review: A highly interior family drama, albeit with all the whistles of an old-fashioned sci-fi romp

Riz Ahmed is impressive as Malik Khan, the ex-Marine who appears to be acting on top-secret orders, during a mission to eliminate the alien parasite that has spread across the planet. Amazon Prime’s Encounter, starring Riz Ahmed, is an impressively unclassifiable film, it has to be said. This is where Encounter reveals what it truly is: a highly interior family drama, albeit with all the bells and whistles of an old-fashioned sci-fi romp. Alas, Encounter’s second half, which hinges upon a drastic plot twist, doesn’t match up to Signs or some of the other alien invasion classics. Much of the amusement in question comes via Ahmed, who turns in another masterful performance as the haunted Malik Khan, confirming his growing reputation as one of Hollywood’s most versatile and unpredictable leading men.