I recently watched In the Shadow of the Moon by Jim Mickle and really enjoyed it. I definitely recommend watching as the film explores themes of time, obsession, and the consequences of one’s actions. In the Shadow of the Moon follows the story of a detective named Thomas Lockhart, played by Boyd Holbrook. The narrative unfolds over several decades, starting in 1988. Lockhart becomes obsessed with solving a series of mysterious deaths that occur. These deaths are linked to a strange pattern occurring every nine years, and as Lockhart investigates, he discovers a time-traveling element to the crimes.

The film starts off in the current time and then cuts to 1988 where the film progresses in gaps of nine years. Attention to time periods is very important in this film as well as detail, especially in the opening scene that tells us a lot. The start of the film shows the destruction and chaos that takes place in 2024. The visuals of fires, abandoned cars, broken glass, and damaged buildings all conclude that something very dangerous has happened. You also hear a siren in the background creating a feeling of alertness and uneasyness along with car alarms. This sets the causation for the whole film. It is because of the bad conditions in this time period that time resets or is taken back to previous years to stop the madness from happening.

More so, we have the image of a damaged and burnt flag of the United States. This adds to the extent of how much danger there is. It is not a small area that is affected but rather a large set of people. This marks the importance of the events that the film has put together and the message of the mission at the end of the film.

The movie integrates a complex narrative that challenges the audience’s perception of cause and effect.

I am attaching the trailer to this film in case anyone is interested.