It’s slick, it’s polished but, ultimately, as a sci-fi thriller, In the Shadow of the Moon doesn’t quite gel.
In his feature debut, director Jim Mickle starts off well enough as police officers Locke and Maddox (Bokeem Woodbine) track down a killer into the Philadelphia subway. But it results in the death of the female assassin (Cleopatra Coleman). Nine years later, in 1997, she’s spotted again – and killings start all over. With the death of his wife somehow connected, Locke (Boyd Holbrook), now a detective, has his own reasons, both professional and personal, to become obsessed.
Weird science, off-kilter morality, time travel and more plot twists than a corkscrew along with pedestrian performances derail the ambition of the film’s potential.
Rating: 46%
Director: Jim Mickle (Cold in July, Stake Land)
Writer: Gregory Weidman (TV’s Limitless, Zoo), Geoffrey Tock (TV’s Limitless, Zoo)
Main cast: Boyd Holbrook (Logan, The Predator), Bokeem Woodbine (Queen & Slim, Billionaire Boys Club), Cleopatra Coleman (Take the 10, Hover)
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