With his first feature film, Moon, director Duncan Jones, who happens to be the son of none other than David Bowie, has created an intelligent, cerebral film whose thematic content is elevated even moreso by what is arguably Sam Rockwell’s most stirring performance. Moon is a tough film to review without spoiling some of its surprises, but the basic premise is as follows: Astronaut Sam Bell is completing a three-year contract on a moon base called “Sarang” for a company known as Lunar Industries. The company mines for Helium-3, which has become the Earth’s primary energy source. When we are introduced to Bell, his time on the moon is nearing its end, and he fully expects to be reunited with his wife, Tess, and their three-year-old daughter Eve. Suffering from headaches and hallucinations after years of isolation, our protagonist is involved in a near-fatal accident while performing a routine task. What follows is an existential crisis of astronomical proportions that allows Rockwell to shine in the lead role. In addition to director Jones’ deft storytelling and Rockwell’s fine performance, Moon’s aesthetic, which was created with model-based special effects, is just as impressive. The film was shot in a puny 33 days and made on a relatively miniscule budget of 5 million dollars. Moon is an impressive feat of filmmaking and Jones proves to be a young auteur worth watching. — Capt. Obvious

Verdict: