The intense trailer of Riz Ahmed’s sci-fi thriller Encounter, of a marine on a mission, looks promising

The trailer of Oscar-nominee Riz Ahmed’s British-American sci-fi thriller Encounter is out. The Michael Pearce directorial, which had its world premiere at the 48th Telluride Film Festival, is set to release in theatres on December 3 and a week later on Amazon Prime Video on December 10.

The trailer, just over one-minute long, gives audiences a glimpse into what appears to be a marine’s attempt to save his two young sons from a mysterious threat. The trailer is an edge-of-the-seat experience, with Riz up against a parasitic invasion.

According to a Vanity Fair report, Encounter follows former marine Malik Kahn (Ahmed), who is convinced that parasites are invading and taking control of human hosts and that he must do whatever he can to protect his two sons, Jay (Lucian-River Chauhan) and Bobby (Aditya Geddada) from it. A mix of sci-fi, psychological thriller and family drama, the film follows Malik as he takes his boys on the road to keep them safe.

The action apart, Encounter is about the relationship dynamic of the father and his young sons, which, the director has been quoted as saying, is inspired by his own life, given that he and his brother were brought up by a single dad. The filmmaker has also said that casting Riz as Malik Khan happened after seeing the actor as a drummer who loses his ability to hear in the Sound of Metal.

Written by director Pearce and and Joe Barton, the film also features Oscar nominee Octavia Spencer, Rory Cochrane, Lucian River Chauhan and Aditya Geddada.