One of the most underrated sci-fi movies ever made, which has thankfully become a cult classic in recent years, is about to land on streaming. There’s something about great sci-fi stories not receiving the attention they deserve at the time of release. Akira, They Live, Galaxy Quest, and Repo Man all took time to find their audiences, while Firefly was taken away from its audience too soon. But in 2009, Sam Rockwell starred in a phenomenal sci-fi thriller that most people don’t even know exists. Thankfully, it’s about to come to streaming and find an ever greater audience.
On April 1, Hulu will be adding Moon to its streaming library. Like most streaming contracts, expect Moon to be on Hulu for 12 months, giving you plenty of time to watch it, and then watch it again, and then one more time for good measure (it really is that good). Oh yeah, and you’ll need to make all your friends watch it as well. Duncan Jones directed Moon, from a script he co-wrote with Nathan Parker. Made for a tiny budget of just $5 million, Moon just broke even domestically, with a worldwide haul of under $10 million.
However, the few who saw it in theaters got to witness one of the best sci-fi thrillers of the 2010s. Rockwell stars as Sam Bell, a lunar miner coming to the end of his three-year shift. But, as he gets ready to reunite with his wife and daughter, his health takes a turn for the worse. Feeling unable to return home just yet, his lunar experience is upended further when he sees a younger clone of himself around the station. Moon is both mind-bending and incredibly emotional and intimate at the same time. No wonder it became a cult classic.
Roger Ebert Adored ‘Moon
It may not have received its flowers in theaters, but in the 17 years since the film was released in theaters, Moon has finally found its audience. The movie has over 100,000 user reviews on Rotten Tomatoes; more than many big-budget blockbusters. From those reviews, the film holds an 89% user rating, with audiences hailing it as “One of the best indie sci-fi films.”
Critics seem to agree. As more reviews were slowly added over the years, Moon is now Certified Fresh with a 90% score. One such critic was the great Roger Ebert, who was awe-struck by the film. He gave Moon a three out of four star rating, saying it evoked a profound sense of 2001: A Space Odyssey, while also creating its own identity.
‘Moon’ Is Perfect for Fans of ‘The Martian’
If Ridley Scott’s 2015 sci-fi hit, The Martian, resonated with you in any way, then we’re absolutely begging you to watch Moon. The latter is certainly darker in tone and leans more into the fiction, rather than the science. But there’s something sadistically engaging about the one-man, stranded among the stars plot type. Both movies examine the effects of such intense isolation. But, in Moon‘s case, it’s taken to far darker lengths, bolstered by its bizarre mystery.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
