Science fiction in movies is just becoming more realistic, more visually striking, and more technologically impressive as time goes on, but one of the best sci-fi movies in history released only 16 years ago, and you can now stream it online for free. Over the years, the Roku Channel has hosted some of the greatest sci-fi projects ever. The likes of Ghostbusters, Westworld, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and more have all graced the streaming service. Now, one of the best sci-fi movies of the 2000s has joined them.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Duncan Jones’ feature film directorial debut saw Sam Rockwell’s Sam Bell, a worker in a helium-3 mining facility on the Moon. Two weeks before the end of his three-year contract, communication issues make it impossible for Bell to speak to Earth, and his isolation begins to cause hallucinations, delusions, and instability before he finds his doppelgänger and uncovers a cloning mystery. 2009’s Moon received critical acclaim, especially regarding Rockwell’s performance, which makes it well worth another watch.
While Moon only grossed a total of $9.8 million at the global box office on a budget of $5 million, the movie has an important place in science fiction history. Moon currently holds a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but received considerable praise that has only increased as the years have passed. The movie is often regarded as one of Rockwell’s strongest performances, and it’s highly regarded by the scientific community, even being screened as part of a lecture series at NASA, and being highly-rated on lists of top brain science movies in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
Moon’s subversive and psychological storyline delivers a grounded and hard-hitting narrative with sci-fi as a backdrop. The technical, space-faring threads aren’t the focus, but Sam Bell’s mental state, deterioration, and the uncovering of the mystery are at the forefront. Moon’s success led to Jones developing a spiritual sequel, Mute, on Netflix in 2018 – which wasn’t as well received – and a third instalment, Madi: Once Upon a Time in the Future, released as a graphic novel in 2020. Nothing beats the original, however.
You can now watch Moon on the Roku Channel in the United States, which could mark a resurgence in interest in this interesting and grounded sci-fi franchise. It would be fantastic to see Sam Rockwell return in an honest-to-goodness sequel to Moon, continuing Sam Bell’s story after his cloning was revealed to the world and he returned to Earth. Moon will be remembered as one of the best sci-fi movies of its generation, so it’s great that new audiences can now be introduced to the movie.
Is Moon one of your favorite sci-fi movies? Let us know in the comments!
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Marvel -
Image Courtesy of Pixar -
Disney Plus -
Image courtesy of Netflix
