Time-loop puzzles can be thrilling or maddening — In the Shadow of the Moon risks both. A Philadelphia detective hunts a serial killer who vanishes for nine years at a time, only to resurface with the same M.O.

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Release year: 2019 ·
Director: Jim Mickle ·
Genre: Science fiction thriller ·
Streaming platform: Netflix ·
Lead actor: Boyd Holbrook

Quick snapshot

1Plot
  • A Philadelphia cop becomes obsessed with a serial killer who resurfaces every nine years. (Film review site Pajiba)
  • The killer’s identity is tied to a time-travel paradox from the future. (YouTube video essay)
2Cast
3Themes
4Reception

The film’s time-jump structure is based on repeated nine-year gaps rather than a single continuous loop.

Label Value
Release year 2019
Director Jim Mickle (Wikipedia)
Lead actor Boyd Holbrook (Wikipedia)
Platform Netflix
Runtime 1 hour 55 minutes (The M Report)
Rating TV-MA (The M Report)

Is it worth watching In the Shadow of the Moon?

Critical reception overview

Most critics agree the film is entertaining but messy. The film review site Pajiba praises the ambition but notes the time-travel explanation arrives late, leaving viewers confused for much of the runtime. The film currently holds a 6.2/10 on IMDb, based on over 60,000 user ratings, according to Wikipedia.

Audience reviews and ratings

  • Rotten Tomatoes critics score: 69% (Wikipedia)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (Wikipedia)
The upshot

You’ll likely divide into two camps: those who enjoy the slow-burn mystery and those who feel the paradox undermines the entire premise.

Comparisons to similar time-loop films

Unlike Predestination or Looper, which establish time-travel rules early, In the Shadow of the Moon keeps its mechanism hidden until the third act. According to a YouTube video essay, the film overlaps bootstrap-paradox and grandfather-paradox logic, creating a tangled narrative that rewards rewatchers but frustrates first-timers.

Bottom line: If you enjoy a mystery that makes you think, you’ll probably get something out of it. If airtight logic is a dealbreaker, you might find the ending unsatisfying.

What was the point of the movie “In the Shadow of the Moon”?

The central theme of obsession

The film follows Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook) across 36 years as he hunts a killer who appears only once every nine years. Film review site Pajiba points out that the detective’s obsession costs him his family and his health — the real horror is not the killer but the spiral of fixation.

The time loop as a metaphor

  • The nine-year cycle represents generational cycles of violence (YouTube video essay)
  • The killer turns out to be Lockhart’s own granddaughter, Rya, who travels from a future civil war in Philadelphia to assassinate future extremists (Film review site Pajiba)

Character arcs and resolution

Lockhart’s arc moves from dogged cop to broken man, and his final act — sacrificing himself to break the loop — gives the story a bittersweet closure. According to YouTube video essay, the film suggests that redemption comes not from changing the past but from accepting inevitable consequences.

Why this matters

The point is less about time travel and more about the cost of single-minded pursuit. But the heavy-handed metaphors leave some viewers wondering if the film knows what it wants to say.

What happens in the end of In the Shadow of the Moon?

Final confrontation

In 2024, Lockhart, now an old man, confronts the killer — his own granddaughter Rya — inside the Philadelphia train station. Film review site Pajiba describes the scene as a tense standoff where Lockhart learns the full truth.

The time loop revelation

  • Rya is a time traveler from 2024’s future — a Philadelphia devastated by white-supremacist civil war (Film review site Pajiba)
  • She kills future extremists (the men Lockhart pursues in each time period) to prevent the war from ever starting (Film review site Pajiba)

Resolution for Thomas Lockhart

Lockhart shoots Rya — ending her time-travel mission — but at the cost of his own life. The film ends with a flash-forward showing a peaceful Philadelphia, implying the loop was broken. According to YouTube video essay, this creates a bootstrap paradox: the future Lockhart tried to stop only exists because he tried to stop it.

Bottom line: The ending resolves by sacrificing Lockhart, but it leaves the paradox intact — which is either clever or frustrating depending on your tolerance for loose threads.

What is the In the Shadow of the Moon about?

Setting and premise

Set in Philadelphia, the story begins in 1988 when a series of mysterious deaths — victims who appear to have died from seizures — catch the attention of rookie cop Thomas Lockhart. Wikipedia confirms the film is an original Netflix sci-fi thriller directed by Jim Mickle.

Main characters

  • Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook) — the obsessive detective (Wikipedia)
  • Rya (Cleopatra Coleman) — the killer from the future (Wikipedia)

Plot overview without spoilers

A detective investigates a serial killer who reappears every nine years. The murders are identical, but the killer seems to age only one cycle ahead. The story spans from 1988 to 2024, gradually revealing a time-travel connection.

What is the plot twist In the Shadow of the Moon?

The identity of the killer

The twist is that the killer is Rya, Lockhart’s granddaughter, who time-travels from 2024’s future to eliminate people who would later start a white-supremacist civil war. Film review site Pajiba calls this revelation the film’s most ambitious — and most divisive — moment.

The time travel mechanics

  • The nine-year jumps are explained by Rya’s ability to travel to specific dates (YouTube video essay)
  • She cannot change her own timeline completely — paradox rules apply (YouTube video essay)

Why the twist is controversial

The twist recontextualizes the entire film — what seemed like a straightforward crime thriller becomes a time-travel paradox. YouTube video essay notes that some viewers feel the twist undercuts the detective story’s realism, while others appreciate the genre switch.

The catch

The film withholds the time-travel explanation for roughly an hour, which means early viewers are left wondering if the killer is supernatural or just very organized.

Upsides

  • Ambitious plot that rewards repeat viewings
  • Strong performance by Boyd Holbrook as the deteriorating detective
  • Interesting use of Philadelphia as a backdrop for a generational story

Downsides

  • Time-travel rules are never fully explained, leaving logic gaps
  • Slow pace in the first hour may lose casual viewers
  • Twist feels disconnected from the crime procedural setup

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

  • The film is a 2019 Netflix original distributed globally (Wikipedia)
  • It is a sci-fi thriller with a time-travel loop at its center (Film review site Pajiba)
  • Boyd Holbrook stars as Thomas Lockhart (Wikipedia)
  • Rya is Lockhart’s granddaughter from the future (Film review site Pajiba)

What’s unclear

  • Whether the time-travel logic is consistent (bootstrap paradox vs. grandfather paradox) (YouTube video essay)
  • Whether the film’s message is about redemption or futility (Film review site Pajiba)

“Goofy but ambitious — a time-travel crime drama that entertains even as it collapses under its own weight.”

Film review site Pajiba

“The film structures itself as a long-form mystery that shifts into science fiction in its final act, leaving viewers to either embrace the twist or feel cheated.”

Film review site Pajiba

For anyone caught between curiosity and skepticism, the choice is clear: if you enjoy movies that challenge you to piece together a puzzle, In the Shadow of the Moon offers a unique time-loop experience. But if you prefer your sci-fi logic airtight or your crime dramas grounded in reality, you may want to skip it. For viewers who decide to watch, go in knowing the twist is coming — it’ll make the slow build more rewarding.

Additional sources

en.wikipedia.org

For a deeper look at the film’s narrative, our analysis of the plot and ending offers a comprehensive breakdown.

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Frequently asked questions

Is In the Shadow of the Moon a horror movie?

No, it’s a science fiction thriller with crime elements. It has some tense scenes but isn’t a horror film. (Wikipedia)

How long is In the Shadow of the Moon?

The runtime is about 1 hour and 55 minutes. (The M Report)

Why is the movie called In the Shadow of the Moon?

The title is a metaphor for the cyclical nature of the murders — like an eclipse that occurs at regular intervals. It also references the idea of the future looming over the present. (Film review site Pajiba)

Does the movie have a sequel?

As of 2025, no sequel has been announced. The film ends with a resolution that suggests the story is complete. (Wikipedia)

Who directed In the Shadow of the Moon?

The film was directed by Jim Mickle, who also co-created the series Sweet Tooth. (Wikipedia)

What is the runtime of In the Shadow of the Moon?

Approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes. (The M Report)

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