By Liz Lopez
Rating: B –
“In the Shadow of the Moon” is a police drama with a Sci-Fi feel, and violence that a young Philadelphia cop, Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook, known as “Locke” to his friends and colleagues), can’t help but want to investigate although he is not a detective. As he is immersed in the initial investigation, Thomas faces a loss of his own wife and raises his daughter by himself. What becomes an unsolved case for almost a decade, the mysterious young woman in a dark hoodie appears again -several times – and Locke makes this case his life’s work.
Jim Mickle is the director of “In the Shadow of the Moon,” and the screenwriters are Gregory Weidman and Geoffrey Tock. Although not every scene may appear original in this story, they are still engaging. It is still a great flick to catch when a viewer wants to watch a suspenseful story and some good performances.
At first, we see a bus driver appear to lose control and all sorts of mayhem occurs in the busy streets. Soon the audience sees the gore that remains of the bus driver and what appears to be the cause of collapse for this individual and several thereafter. Locke’s partner, Maddox (Bokeem Woodbine), is not keen on following along with an investigation they are not responsible for conducting, but he remains loyal.
An African American young adult, Rya (Cleopatra Coleman), is identified as the responsible individual, but she is never apprehended. Year after year, but actually, it is decade after decade, 1988 to 2024 as the viewer learns what it is that Rya is trying to accomplish over a period of time. A scientist approaches Locke, Naveen Rao (Rudi Dharmalingam), and he truly wants to help, but the aging lawman won’t listen.
The cast also includes Michael C. Hall, Rachel Keller, Al Maini, Quincy Kirkwood, Sarah Dugdale, Ryan Allen.
Camera (color, widescreen): David Lanzenberg. Editor: Michael Berenbaum. Music: Jeff Grace.
Running time: 115 MIN. Release Date: September 27, 2019
Source: Netflix, Fantastic Fest