The Encounter (2015)

Last night I took a break from the blog so I could focus some on my upcoming script project for class. At this point, I am still struggling to solidify an idea, but believe I have it narrowed down. Tonight, I did want to get back at it, and my selection was the 2015 found footage entry The Encounter.

Plot/ What started as a simple camping trip in the mountains of Northern Arizona quickly descended into an amazing and terrifying story that is truly out of this world. As the sole survivor of this deadly close encounter, Collin must try to explain the unexplainable.

Found footage movies are often a mixed bag and really, no one knows what to expect until watching them. Unfortunately, that was definitely the case with this entry, which takes on an interesting topic in a rather clichéd manner. Yes, there are a few intriguing moments, which featured some atmosphere and suspense, along with some outstanding special effects and make-up. Other than those brief moments, much of the movie suffers from the typical ailments that plague low budget found footage entries, such as uneven characterization, jagged performances, rough dialog, and an overwhelming amount of repetitive/clichéd moments. In the end, this was a low budget entry that did not inspire or create anything memorable or groundbreaking. Plus, it is a found footage flick, which as a whole, is a genre that needs to disappear for a while. While it is not the best in the genre, I have experienced much worse on a larger scale with a bigger budget. Not for everyone, but if like me you enjoy supporting low budget cinema, give it a shot.