Netflix SN #1 - "The Encounter"

Over the past few years, my wife and I have been Netflix instant viewer subscribers and during that time have seen a fair amount of good movies and shows that many people may not know about. As a result, I thought I'd do a new blog called "Netflix Streaming Nuggets", or "Netflix SN" for short where I briefly introduce some of them from time to time.

Nugget #1 is a movie I'm sure very few of you, if any, have heard of.  Partly because it's a Christian movie, and partly because it never made it to theaters (unlike other recent Christian movies like "Fireproof", "Courageous", and others).  It is called "The Encounter".

"The Encounter" was filmed in 2010, but I hadn't heard of it until I stumbled across it on Netflix last year.  I was actually looking for something to watch one night on Netflix, and came across a movie with the following description:  "When five strangers come together at an eatery, they meet the owner, who seems to know everything about them and is reminiscent of Jesus Christ."  Sounded a bit hoaky at first, but I had to check it out.  I was glad I did.

The movie was primarily based in an eatery (a diner), and the owner of the diner was not only reminiscent of Jesus Christ, he WAS Jesus Christ. Not in the flesh, but spiritually to five specifically chosen people.  Each of the five are in different stages in their belief in God, Jesus, and Christianity in general. Some are lukewarm believers, some seekers, and one was a non-believer. After all are systematically brought together, "Jesus" begins working on them, one-by-one.  Most are obviously skeptical that they are facing the actual Jesus of Nazareth, but most begin to believe it after facts and life experiences only known to them are slowly revealed.

The movie does a nice job portraying, one would hope, what it would be like to actually have a conversation with Jesus, based on what the Bible says about Him....gentle, loving, caring, and reassuring that He is always listening to us. This is not only because of the writing, which was obviously done by people with a high level of biblical knowledge and understanding, but also by the acting of Bruce Marchiano. The movie also provides an interesting depiction on how Jesus (or any Christian, for that matter) might confront people of different belief levels. The approach depends on the level of their belief. As i just mentioned, the script is biblically sound, and shows what the results (both good and bad) of our ultimate decision on what to believe could be.

I want to be careful and not give much away, so that's all I'll say about the plot.  I would highly recommend "The Encounter" to you no matter where your belief level lies.  If you're a believer, you'll find it comforting and reassuring.  And if you're someone who's always had doubts or reservations, this movie could help clarify whatever questions or reservations you might have.

After watching it, I was curious about the company who made the film, "Pure Flix Entertainment".  After doing a little research, I discovered that they have actually been making movies for some time, having released 34 movies since the late 1990's. Most, but not all, are Christian comedies or dramas. Since watching "The Encounter" I checked out a few of their other Christian films that were on Netflix, and some are definitely better than others. "Peter and the Last Supper" was probably the best of the lot. "The Encounter: Paradise Lost", a sequel to "The Encounter" was actually released in 2012 and is on Netflix as well. It has a very similar message to it's prequel, but done amidst a DEA agent vs drug dealer storyline. Not sure why that particular plot, but it appears the creators wanted to do an action version of "The Encounter".  In this case, I'd definitely recommend sticking with the original! At least initially.

If you end up watching it, be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think!