In the Shadow of the Moon

If you want science fiction that respects its own premise, In the Shadow of the Moon is available in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Netflix right now. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 1,606 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch it for Boyd Holbrook — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. Available now on Netflix — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

In the Shadow of the Moon is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. What makes In the Shadow of the Moon work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. In 1988, Philadelphia police officer Thomas "Locke" Lockhart, hungry to become a detective, begins tracking a serial killer whose crimes defy scientific explanation. When the killer mysteriously resurfaces nine years later, Locke's obsession with finding the truth threatens to destroy his career, his family, and possibly his sanity. Boyd Holbrook and Cleopatra Coleman lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2019. In the Shadow of the Moon resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Sci-fi fans who want ideas alongside the spectacle will find In the Shadow of the Moon genuinely rewarding. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Watch for Boyd Holbrook in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.