In the Shadow of the Moon is a 2019 American mystery thriller film in which a police officer struggles with an obsession to track down a serial killer.
Directed by Jim Mickle (We Are What We Are; Stake Land; Mulberry Street) from a screenplay written by Gregory Weidman and Geoffrey Tock, the movie stars Boyd Holbrook, Cleopatra Coleman, Bokeem Woodbine and Michael C. Hall.
Plot:
In 1988, Philadelphia police officer Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook), hungry to become a detective, begins tracking a serial killer who mysteriously resurfaces every nine years.
However, when the killer’s crimes begin to defy all scientific explanation, Locke’s obsession with finding the truth threatens to destroy his career, his family, and possibly his sanity.
Reviews:
“In the Shadow of the Moon is far from a failure, but it is painfully mediocre. It features some excellent production design and has a great concept that is let down by a weak script. Mickle doesn’t bungle the execution, but the screenplay and his lead actors do him a disservice.” Bloody Disgusting
” …In the Shadow of the Moon‘s faults are few, but they are entirely too obvious and frustrating to ignore. What starts as a thrilling battle cry of a capable filmmaker’s vision ends as nothing more than a disappointing bellow […] It’s pretty good, pretty bad, and ultimately forgettable.” Comic Book
“The mix of a procedural crime story with a time-travel one never works as intended. But the film was so bonkers and so insanely earnest in believing in its incredulous theme and in its belief that the weird story could be rationally explained, that I mercifully found it to be a bad film that was so bad it was good.” Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
“Some people might dislike the ending for wrapping up the story so neatly. But honestly, those are probably the exact same people who are angry with endings that aren’t completely spelt for them – even when they actually are […] Oh well, you can’t win them all, but you can enjoy watching this Netflix sci-fi mystery.” Heaven of Horror
” …if you’re wondering which logy, derivative, visually pedestrian piece of made-for-Netflix pulp to avoid at all costs this week, it would be hard to top “In the Shadow of the Moon,” a police thriller powered by a “head-spinning” sci-fi twist that’s revealed so gradually you’ll feel older by the time the movie ends.” Hollywood Gossip
” …a fun little sci-fi action-thriller with standout work by Holbrook and Coleman […] as like anything else that deals with time travel, the “rules” fall apart the more you ruminate on them. I had fun with this Netflix original movie, although certainly, it might be a little too “out there” for some.” JoBlo
“Sure to be a win with crime-fiction and sci-fi fans both and honestly a contender to win the hearts of audiences who give it the chance, In the Shadow of the Moon is unpredictable and fresh, something new for audiences that want to experience something a little bit different, a film of passion and deception.” Ready Steady Cut!
“In the Shadow of the Moon isn’t effective as sci-fi, action, noir, mystery, or even social commentary, even though it has elements of all of the above […] It’s a film that needed more style and more personality, especially in its center, to keep its various tones tied together. Instead, they get lost in the dark.” RogerEbert.com
“The raw power of the story Mickle and company are telling is impossible to deny, but In the Shadow of the Moon doesn’t know how to leave well enough alone, and tacks on a heavy-handed, exposition-laden bit of narration, as if the movie is literally screaming “Get it?!” into our ears. In the Shadow of the Moon is a film doing battle with itself – it wants to be all things to all people, but sometimes, less is more.” Slash Film
“The film concludes with a voice-over that seems aimed at belatedly turning the whole project into a much more thoughtful movie about consequences and connection than it actually is. As long as Shadow of the Moon sticks to action sequences and the pains of its isolated protagonist, it’s a tightly wound thriller with a surprising speculative element.” The Verge
Release:
The film had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 21, 2019. It is scheduled to be released on Netflix on September 27, 2019.
Cast and characters:
- Boyd Holbrook … Locke
- Cleopatra Coleman … Rya
- Bokeem Woodbine … Maddox
- Michael C. Hall … Holt
- Rudi Dharmalingam … Naveen Rao
- Al Maini … Old Naveen
- Quincy Kirkwood … Amy (9)
- Sarah Dugdale … Amy (18 / 27)
- Ryan Allen … Palmer
- Jhonattan Ardila … Travis
- José Arias … Stage Manager
- Sandra Battaglini … Hospital Attendant
- Trisha Blair … Nurse
- Bobby Daniels … Delivery Guy
- Yahsmin Daviault … Tall Nurse
Technical details:
Aspect ratio: 2.39: 1
Production companies:
- 42
- Automatik
- Belladonna Productions
- Netflix
- Nightshade
