It was one of those days where I sought something gripping to watch, to see how much I'd grown out of being terrified by horror films. So I went combing the net. The movie's title caught my attention, but at first glance, I thought it would be an apocalyptic or vampire movie die to the moon reference. I didn't bother checking out the intro; the title was enough to pull me in completely.
Synopsis (no spoilers)
In the Shadow of the Moon is a 2019 science fiction thriller film directed by Jim Mickle. The movie is set in Philadelphia in 1988 and follows the story of a police officer, Thomas Lockhart, who becomes obsessed with solving a series of mysterious and gruesome murders after the death of his wife.
As Thomas investigates deeper into the case, he discovers that the murders are connected to a mysterious human figure who seems to be aging in reverse. The figure, a young woman, who's always in a blue hoodie and has an injured hand, is revealed to be a time traveler from the future.
According to Thomas's findings, she comes after every nine years to help save the world from disaster but they don't see the help as each time she visits, people die after bleeding through their eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Also, the victims all have a familiar mark on their necks which Thomas worked with to uncover the mystery behind the unbelievably strange occurrences.
My Review and Rating.
I like how this film was able to blend properly, science fiction and crime thriller elements. To be honest if it was barely science fiction, I wouldn't have watched it as I feel the language would be arcane. I'm not a science student and I hate it when I'm unable to immediately grasp what's being talked about.
The cast on the other hand, particularly Holbrook and Coleman(the mysterious time traveler), delivered strong performances. Thomas's dedication to solving the mystery despite being warned severally by a superior to drop the case is worth commending. If there were Police officers like Thomas in our world today, I don't think we'd have as many unsolved crimes as we do today.
The movie's atmosphere and visuals are also noteworthy as it captures the gritty and dark tone of the 1980s setting.
Despite all these praises, I still found the pacing a bit slow and the plot twists somewhat predictable. One thing that disturbed me till the end was how I was unable to comprehend what help Coleman came to render. If you've seen this film and you probably got the subtle message about Coleman's help please share with me.
All in all, I'd say, it is a thought-provoking and engaging movie that's definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of science fiction and crime thrillers.