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  • Writer's pictureJames Rutherford

'Moon': A Beguiling Science Fiction Escapade About an Astronaut Stationed Alone on the Moon


Movie poster for the 2009 science fiction film Moon

Moon (2009) is a beguiling and inventive science fiction film starring Sam Rockwell as Sam Bell, an astronaut stationed alone at a remote mining facility on the far side of the Moon. Set in the near future, the storyline revolves around the excavation of helium-3 from lunar soil as fuel for an Earth depleted of its natural resources.


Installed as the lone human resident of the highly-automated "Sarang Station" by his employers at Lunar Industries, Sam is nearing the completion of a 3-year term of service as the storyline begins. Operating alongside his sole companion GERTY (the voice of Kevin Spacey), an artificially intelligent automaton, Sam is just 2 weeks of departure when he begins to suffer repeated seizures beset by hallucinations of life back on Earth. One such attack causes him to crash his lunar rover, bringing about irrevocable damage and opening the door for a series of stunning revelations.


Written and directed by British filmmaker Duncan Jones (Source Code, Warcraft) in his feature film debut, Moon is an extremely well-crafted tale of intrigue within a uniquely futuristic setting. Working efficiently despite financial constraints, Jones has pieced together an exciting low-budget showcase for his creative vision in the form of psychological drama. Highlighted by Rockwell's stirring one-man-show performance, it's a fresh and tantalizing fable about the darker human side of technological advancement.

 

Watch the trailer:


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