A seemingly ordinary rideshare turns into an extraordinary encounter.

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Review by Victoria Angelique:

The concept of ride share drivers picking up crazy people isn’t new, but the short film ENCOUNTER takes it to another level when the driver learns that his passenger is actually telling the truth. 

The story behind this film is one that many people can relate too, as many people use ride share opportunities to earn a little extra cash after a long day at work. The driver in this film seems like a rational man with a good heart. When his passenger seems erratic, he worries she’s being followed and like a true gentleman, he refuses to leave her alone on the side of the highway. His exasperation is plausible as the woman describes an event happening, which justifies her wanting to be dropped at a random place that would frighten a reasonable person. 

The woman appears to be frantic and excited at the same time, describing a conspiracy theory that most people dismiss. Something is coming and it is clearly something worth being excited over. She shows her drive a notebook filled with formulas, incoherent paragraphs, and a time for when this event will happen. The woman doesn’t realize she seems crazy or might be ruining another person’s life, this has to happen tonight. 

The momentum builds when she exits the car and dismisses every argument. The woman isn’t crazy as she sets up her camera hoping to capture the invisible entity. A flash of blue light proves she was right about the encounter, only she isn’t able to photograph it as both she and her worried driver are abducted under the light. 

This film teaches a valuable lesson to ride share drivers, that sometimes being a good human being involves trusting your instincts when it appears that someone might be crazy. The driver is taken with the woman, who didn’t think about what this could do to his life.