In the Shadow of the Moon

Even though the plot was pretty much clear from the start, the first part of the movie was enjoyable. A certain tension, a certain nostalgia. But then it all starts going downhill until it end in the sewers. The vague ethical elements never rise above kindergarten level, the science is preposterous and the "USA is the world" assumption is tedious. The acting is decent, so is the music and lighting. Too bad, as with nearly every movie these days, the plot didn't get as much attention.

This NETFLIX production was a pleasant surprise. The plot centers on Tom Lockhart - a beat cop in 1988 Philadelphia who is aiming to make Detective. When what "appears" to be a serial killler starts a streak in the city, Lockhart delves into it despite the protestations of his brother-in-law Detective Holt and his somewhat laidback partner Officer Maddox. The "apparent" serial killer is stopped. But then re-surfaces 9 years later. And then every 9 years thereafter. Quite impossibly. Officer Lockharts own life unravels on multiple levels through the years "chasing" this "apparent" serial killer.

Ok - so I've used enough quotation marks to make it obvious that I am avoiding spoilers. The movie seamlessly spans a 27 year timeline and the storyline is interesting while easy to follow. This brand of sci-fi thriller can get annoying because it gets messy and confusing. But the writers and director here did a good job of letting the story make sense as it unfolds over those 27 years in 9-year cycles. Definitely worth a watch!

The talanted horror/thriller director Jim Mickle (Cold in July; Stake Land) teams up with the rising star Boyd Holbrook & brings to Netflix his newest piece - the exciting and entertaining mystery detective/killer flick "In the Shadow of the Moon".

"In the Shadow of the Moon" starts like any other police thriller, introducing us to a duo of likeable cops, a damp city full of crime & a mystery in the making. Through equal amounts of engaging drama, energetic action and time skipping we steadily move forward to the solution of the mystery, accompanied by the obsessive detective Lockhart who's got some heavy burdens on his shoulders. Boyd Holbrook, whom I first saw on "Narcos" (as I'm sure many people did as well) gives a great lead performance as detective Lockhart & the supporting cast helps him out well, especially Bokeem Woodbine & Cleopatra Coleman. The revelation of the sci-fi twist & the point of the mystery comes a tad bit too slowly & doesn't quite have the impact one would wish for, but, nevertheless, while "In the Shadow of the Moon" left me wanting more, at the same time the ending felt right. The themes of horrors and wonders of humanity & family values are served well. We cannot forget that the movie also looks gorgeous, has a decent original score, well made action sequences & even features a few bloody scenes for the horror fans. In summary, "In the Shadow of the Moon" kinda looks like, feels like and plays out like a big-screen movie.

I think this movie could've been a little less convoluted, with a different, less straight forward mystery building structure, but the result is still engaging, handsome and thoughtful thriller piece. My rating: 7/10.

It's mid budget and reasonable acting etc. There are a lot of negative comments and some people are offended way too easily, perhaps some are looking into it way too much for faults and racism, it's fiction. There are a hell of a lot more offensive movies out there, I am 58 and white and I did not even think of any of the things that some of the overly sensitive reviewers on here so just enjoy it as the fictional movie that it is and not a propaganda movie with messages of hate.

Not 12 Monkeys, but okay... starts great and goes into the sewer at the end, but a solid enjoyable watch all round.

I think it is suffering from the usual outrage brigade whenever there is a female protagonist (eventually) in a movie. Strikes a real tone given the subject matter and the current climate that we are in.

Appreciated it more after a rewatch and honestly think is a solid six or a weak seven. Given the budget and the cast, it plays well in the time travel sci-fi genre and while there are inevitably plot holes, that is with nearly ever time travel movie if you really want to be pedantic.