Imagine True Detective crossed with Looper.
There are two particular types of movies that genre lovers can’t get enough of.
One is the type of thriller where world-weary detectives must investigate a decades-spanning series of murders – with examples including The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Longlegs, Memories of Murder, Mindhunter, Prisoners, True Detective and Zodiac.
The other is the sci-fi mind-bender – stories which use science-fiction elements to suck viewers into an exciting tale before blowing their minds with shocking reveals that they probably should have seen coming but didn’t e.g. Coherence, The Endless, Inception, Looper, Predestination, Tenet and the recent Caddo Lake.
In 2019, a Netflix original tried to mix both of these sub-genres to cool, often impressive if ultimately mixed results. Directed by indie darling Jim Mickle (Cold in July, Stake Land, Sweet Tooth), that movie is titled In the Shadow of the Moon.
The film sees three cops (played by Boyd Holbrook, Bokeem Woodbine and Michael C. Hall) in ’80s Philadelphia investigating a string of gruesome strange murders that seem to be connected and happened at the exact same time.
Eager to prove himself, one of these policemen – Thomas Lockhart (Holbrook) – manages to identify and track down the lead suspect, who is a mysterious woman (Cleopatra Coleman).
Chasing her into a subway station, the two have an altercation – during which the woman makes cryptic references to Lockhart’s life that she couldn’t possibly know about.
Before Lockhart can get proper answers, the woman falls in front of a train and dies – after which Lockhart, now seen as a hero, is promoted to detective.
Nine years later, however, the same killings start happening again as the enigmatic woman reappears.
In the Shadow of a Moon received mixed reviews upon release, with many praising it for its ambition but feeling like its blend of genres didn’t always work.

Boyd Holbrook and Michael C. Hall (doing a Philly accent) in In the Shadow of the Moon
We here at JOE would agree that the movie has its flaws: its big and bold sci-fi concepts (as you can expect from its title, the Moon plays a major role in proceedings) sometimes gel awkwardly with its gritty cop drama elements.
The film’s plot also touches upon real-world social issues like police brutality and growing political tensions in the US without ever really properly exploring them.
That said, we’d also argue there is lots to enjoy in the sci-fi thriller as well, including its cracking first 35 minutes.
All taking place over one night, this opening act manages to establish its tantalising mystery, introduce viewers to characters they care about and deliver rip-roaring action set-piece after rip-roaring action set-piece in a way that feels consistently intriguing, exciting and pacy.
And though the film slows down slightly after this stretch, it does settle into a unique and inventive narrative structure, in which it follows its lead character Lockhart but only for a brief window every nine years as Coleman’s enigmatic killer reappears.
Starting in 1988 and ending in 2024, it’s a real treat to watch Holbrook – one of Hollywood’s most underrated stars (who recently scene-stole as Johnny Cash in A Complete Unknown) – get to play the same character as he changes over decades.
Almost akin to Matthew McConaughey in True Detective, there’s a real pathos in watching Lockhart go from being a charming, cocky, happy young cop to becoming increasingly dishevelled and haunted due to his obsession with this seemingly unsolvable case.
And like all the best sci-fi mind-benders, In the Shadow of the Moon does wrap up with a denouement that feels surprising yet inevitable.
How to watch In the Shadow of the Moon
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In the Shadow of the Moon is streaming on Netflix now.
If you want to watch it but want to save the cash, you could use this technique with an Amazon Fire Stick to save money.
The trick is something called ‘leapfrogging’, which is a way to skip between shorter, cheaper subscriptions to watch what you want to watch without signing up for expensive year-long contracts.
For example, you can get a basic Netflix package for €8.99, and stream what you want to watch via your Fire Stick and cancel it before your next bill.
You can then take advantage of the free trials of other services without signing up to them, all from the same place on your Fire Stick, so it’s super easy and convenient!
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