Summary
Sharing experiences of encounters all over the world, this docuseries is thought-provoking in its content. With no evidence for or against, we’re all part of the open secret about extraterrestrial life.
Have you ever seen something you can’t explain? Over the last fifty to seventy years, there have been masses of UFO/alien sightings, which have fuelled global mystery and conspiracies—many of us already believing and knowing of their existence. Encounters help fuel our curiosities and possibly answer some questions.
Encounters is a Netflix miniseries that discusses multiple encounters with aliens or UFOs worldwide. The series features eyewitness accounts, interviews with experts, and compelling footage, providing deep insight into extraterrestrial life on Earth.
Encounters Season 1 Review: The Series Brings Carefully Selected Stories
There are four episodes to take you out of this world, all with a runtime of roughly one hour. The episodes are called “Messengers”, “The Broad Haven Triangle,” “Lights Over Fukushima,” and “Believers.” They take you through strange lights in the sky over small-town Texas, submersible space crafts haunting a coastal Welsh village, bright lights in Asia, and an alien encounter with schoolchildren in Zimbabwe.
They’ve carefully selected their stories to ensure audiences hear examples from different areas across the globe, so we can’t blame one kooky area. The belief that life is alien has always had a stigma around it—that you’re mentally ill and need therapy if you believe in aliens or believe in having been in contact with them.
It’s hard to deny these multiple experiences when encountered by many people from different walks of life. This documentary does well in keeping a balance, where it does not explicitly suggest alien life is real but does not deny it.
One episode takes place in Wales in the 1970s, when 450 people saw flying saucers and aliens that resembled people—one of the biggest mass sightings in history. It delves into Welsh folk law, films, and television shows and how these have influenced and impacted their lives.
In Zimbabwe, over 60 children saw something at their school, and they spoke of a message to stop destroying the planet—to them, the aliens’ purpose was to give us a message, which is a fascinating thought.
The interviews are honest; ordinary people discuss their experiences every day, and it doesn’t feel as if they’re pushing an opinion or an agenda on you—especially when they share the intense bullying they’ve faced. It’s a shared curiosity that is easy to watch and become engrossed in.
There are also experts. An astrophysicist discusses the stigma around aliens, and a writer for the New York Times talks about the ridicule you get for examining and believing in aliens.
The episodes have a good mixture of interviews and footage. I enjoyed being shown the locations rather than just someone sitting in a room telling a story, as this helps with imagination and understanding.
There are some comedic moments when they’re not taking themselves so seriously, and they show how myths have been debunked, such as people pulling pranks.
Overall, the series allows you to hear people’s shared experiences of extraterrestrial life. It will enable you to question reality, who we are, and what else exists. The main thing to take away from this docu-series is that we are all part of an open secret.
The only thing the series lacks is evidence against the possibility of extraterrestrial life—if there is any. I felt that if they wanted to make a truly balanced argument, we needed more from the deniers.
After the fourth and final episode, I wanted a more solid conclusion. Whether you’re a believer or not, this documentary series is exciting. It’s thought-provoking and will open your eyes to things we cannot explain – there is no evidence for or against; therefore, this is an open case when it comes to belief.
