Director Jim Mickle’s Netflix film ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’ is one of the most creative and intriguing time travel stories we have watched in recent times. The film is a classic example of how there is still scope for filmmakers to experiment with the concept while creating something unique.
Beginning in the year 1988, ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’ follows a cop named Tommy Lockhart who is keen to join the rank of detective. When in a bizarre series of incidents many people started dying of brain hemorrhage, Lockhart starts following the cases and finds a connection between those with similar wounds.
If you plan to watch the film, here is the trailer:
As he follows the cases, he gets in touch with an assault victim who describes her assailant as a young African American woman. Lockhart starts a manhunt and confronts her in a subway where the female assailant surprisingly reveals personal details about Lockhart’s life. Just before a train hits her to death, she even tells the cop that his wife is going to give birth on that day.
With confusion and without having any concrete evidence, the police department finally closes the case. As when the events are all in suspense for the viewers, the storyline jumps nine years to the future when Lockhart, now a detective, strangely comes across a series of recent murder cases in which the killer happens to be the same person who was dead nine years back.
As the film progresses, we get to learn about similar incidents involving the same killer that happen again in 2006 and 2015, and Lockhart is still in search of the truth behind the time-traveling serial killer.
‘In the Shadow of the Moon’ is one of those films that is a nice blend of genres where probably the biggest plus is its intelligently written story and fluid narration. In addition, the film is great in characterization that further makes the whole experience engaging as we wonder about the possibilities.
Although the time travel element and traveling backward to fix something important for the future has been a common theme in many other movies, here its execution is really good. The story has a personal angle that is only revealed towards the end which is very nicely planted to give a twist to the tale.
We must say that this kind of attempt in the science-fiction genre is indeed great with elements of suspense. Moreover, the story has also raised a few points like the balance of one human life, the unsettling morality behind killing one to save others, to what extent we can go to save the future, and so on.
As far as performance is concerned, we can see that the film has a great cast assigned with unique characters, completely different from each other in personality. Boyd Holbrook as Lockhart and Cleopatra Coleman, as the time travel killer from the future, very much justify their roles. Moreover, the depth in characterization further elevates the drama in the story.
Overall, it’s a great mix of thriller, drama, science fiction, and elements of suspense. ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’ is a must-watch not just for performance, but also for the finest piece of writing by Gregory Weidman and Geoffrey Tock that allows us to speculate and wait for an unexpected ending.
Genres: Dramas, Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Sci-Fi Thrillers, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Michael C. Hall, Cleopatra Coleman, Bokeem Woodbine, Rudi Dharmalingam, Rachel Keller
Directed by Jim Mickle
Written by Gregory Weidman and Geoff Tock
Release Date/Year: September 27, 2019 (Netflix)
Where to watch In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
