In the Shadow of the Moon Review

This was one of those movies that I am glad I knew nothing about going into it. It seemed like a straightforward crime thriller at first, but ended up taking a sci-fi twist that I didn’t see coming. The synopsis made it seem like it was about a serial killer that strikes every nine years, but it was so much more than that. I really enjoyed this movie. It's one of the best crime dramas I have seen in a long time, and also a completely unique and original concept.

In the Shadow of the Moon (2019) was written by Gregory Weidman and Geoff Tock. It was directed by Jim Mickle and stars Boyd Holbrook, Cleopatra Coleman and Michael C. Hall. The film starts in 1988. Officer Thomas Lockhart (Holbrook) is on his way to becoming a detective. One night he responds to a bus accident involving a woman that suffered a major brain hemorrhage and died while driving the bus. Thomas suspects there may be something more to the case when he notices three dots on the woman's neck, which connects her death to several other unexplained deaths that have been turning up. What Thomas doesn’t realize is that the case goes much deeper than he can imagine and his sanity will be put to the test.

This was an excellent movie! I love original concepts, and I love being surprised by the way a film plays out. This movie just had so much going for it. For one thing, the story spanned more than three decades, which is impressive by itself. The film had some serious depth to it, and it could have easily been too confusing but it wasn’t. The screenplay and direction were exactly what they needed to be to accomplish what the filmmakers set out to do. For the record, this is an extremely difficult movie to write a review about because I don't want to spoil the plot, but that is a difficult task. You will understand when you see this movie. I will say this - make sure you pay attention to everything going on early in the film because it is all there for a reason.

I would recommend this film to anyone who likes a good crime drama, with a little sprinkle of sci-fi that will surprise you, if you go into it cold like I did.

• This film had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 21, 2019. It was later released on September 27, 2019 by Netflix.
• This movie was filmed in Canada and Pennsylvania.
• Rachel Keller (Jean) and Bokeem Woodbine (Maddox) both starred in season 2 of the TV series Fargo.
• The device Rya uses for injecting the isotopes is actually a pneumatic air saw primarily used in the auto body repair industry.
• Locke's wife wears a "Pottstown" shirt in the opening scenes. Director Jim Mickle was born in Pottstown, PA.