The 17 Best Sci-Fi Movies On Netflix (June 2024) - IGN
The 17 Best Sci-Fi Movies On Netflix (June 2024) · Top sci-fi films you can stream with your Netflix subscription. · The Matrix (1999) · Spider-Man: Across the ...
Moon
Hinging on its disturbing, horror-infused vibes and solid acting by Hilary Swank and Clara Rugaard along with the collaborative performance of Mother, this is not to be missed by fans that love a good ominous sci-fi film. I Am Mother is one of those stories that is remarkably difficult to describe without inevitably giving away a major twist, but that’s all the more reason for genre fans to seek it out for themselves. Claustrophobic dystopian tales that keep you on your toes until after the credits roll like Solaris(1979) or <anchor>Moon</anchor>(2009) will delight in the heady concepts tucked into a roller coaster plot.
SXSW 09: Moon Review - IGN
SXSW 09: Moon Review - IGN

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[Moon](/movies/moon)

# SXSW 09: Moon Review

## Intriguing sci-fi drama redefines the idea of the one man show.

![Jim Vejvoda Avatar](https://oyster.ignimgs.com/social/avatars/users2/11/1808007-1559262611.jpg?crop=1%3A1&width=21)

By [Jim Vejvoda](/person/StaxIGN)

Updated: Oct 21, 2020 10:44 pm

Posted: Mar 15, 2009 4:30 am

_[Moon](http://movies.ign.com/objects/143/14313551.html)_, the feature filmmaking debut of Duncan Jones (who just so happens to be David Bowie's son), is an intriguing throwback to classic, cerebral sci-fi fare and is anchored by a stellar lead performance from [Sam Rockwell](https://stars.ign.com/objects/917/917487.html) that redefines the notion of the one man show.

Set a few decades in the future, _Moon_ follows Sam Bell (Rockwell), the lone employee working at a lunar mining facility that provides the natural resource which has solved much of Earth's energy problems. Sam's sole companion is "Gerty," the station's computer (voiced by [Kevin Spacey](https://stars.ign.com/objects/914/914703.html), who puts his hypnotic monotone to fine use here). Sam is nearing the end of his three-year contract with the corporation that owns the lunar mining operation, and he can't wait to return home to his wife Tess (Dominique McElligott) and baby girl Eve.

Sam has only been able to communicate with Tess via recorded video messages; there is no live feed or communication possible from the lunar outpost. As the days dwindle down towards his return to Earth, Sam begins seeing things, such as a woman sitting in one of the station's bays and glitches in recordings that flash images of conversations that have already happened or that he can't recall ever having. Sam's mental state rapidly deteriorates, culminating in an accident that leaves him badly injured. Is he going mad, or is Sam not as alone on the moon as he has believed?

![](https://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/947/947275/best-of-british-20090122105923050.jpg?width=1280&fit=bounds&height=720&quality=20&dpr=0.05)

**Click for more images of Sam Rockwell in _Moon_.**

In an attempt to avoid **spoilers**, let's just say that _Moon_ becomes a morality tale that questions the notion of what is real and what isn't, and what it means to be alive and to be human. Scientific and corporate ethics also come into play. This is all pretty heady stuff, but director Jones, screenwriter Nathan Parker, and star Rockwell find the humor and movie thrills to keep the viewer engrossed and caring about what will happen next. Is Gerty really there to help and protect Sam? Is the ship that's due to arrive coming to rescue Sam, or to kill him? Can Sam even trust himself? The tension slowly, methodically builds, even after Sam makes his shocking discovery.

_Moon_ is a valentine to the smart genre films of the '70s and the very best _Twilight Zone_ and _Outer Limits_ episodes. The movie begins, as our [**IGN UK colleagues have described**](https://movies.ign.com/articles/947/947275p9.html), as _The Shining_ in space, with touches of _2001_ thrown in for good measure. But then this Kubrickian homage segues into Cronenberg country, and even has nods to Ridley Scott's sci-fi classics as well as the 1981 " _High Noon_ in space" thriller _Outland_. And yet despite all these stylistic and narrative nods to films past, _Moon_ manages to feel completely fresh and authentic with the arguable exception of the film's lunar facility production design, which is far too derivative of past movie space station/ship designs. Otherwise, the special effects are great, as is the haunting score by [Clint Mansell](https://stars.ign.com/objects/917/917183.html).

But _Moon_ simply wouldn't work as well were it not for the exceptional performance by Sam Rockwell. Sam's job consists of portraying a wide range of emotions and physical traits over the course of the story, and it's a chameleon-like tour de force that not many actors could pull off. Unfortunately, to say much more about Rockwell's performance would simply invite too many potential spoilers. Just know that Rockwell, Jones and Parker have crafted a fine piece of thinking man's sci-fi with _Moon_. It's one of the best sci-fi films in ages, and also one of the most thought-provoking movies of the new year.

![](https://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2005/09/ign-five-star-movie-legacy-4_0.png?width=1280&fit=bounds&height=720&quality=20&dpr=0.05)

**4 out of 5 Stars, 8/10 Score**

### In This Article

![Moon](https://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/object/143/14313551/moon-boxart.jpg?width=114&auto=webp)

[Moon](/movies/moon)

[Sony Pictures Classics](/movies/publisher/sony-pictures-classics "Distributors") Jun 12, 2009

[R](/wikis/content-ratings/MPAA "MPAA: R")

[Blu-ray](/movies/platform/blu-ray "Blu-ray") [DVD](/movies/platform/dvd "DVD") [Theater](/movies/platform/theater "Theater")

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More

### SXSW 09: Moon Review

8

[Review scoring](https://corp.ign.com/review-practices/)

great

[![Jim Vejvoda Avatar Avatar](https://oyster.ignimgs.com/social/avatars/users2/11/1808007-1559262611.jpg?width=36&crop=1%3A1&quality=20&dpr=0.05)\
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Jim Vejvoda](/person/StaxIGN "Jim Vejvoda")

![Official IGN Review](https://assets1.ignimgs.com/2021/08/13/ignlogonobg-1628814823283.png?width=540&crop=16%3A9&quality=20&dpr=0.05)

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