Don't Come Back from the Moon (2019)

Film summary
"Don't Come Back from the Moon" is a 2019 American drama movie based upon the novel by Dean Bakopoulos. The movie, set in an impoverished desert town in Southern California, follows a group of young kids whose dads have all left for unknown reasons, leaving them to look after themselves. It is a poignant assessment of desertion, masculinity, and the harmful result of economic misery.

Main Plot
The story is narrated by a 16-year-old young boy named Mickey Smalley whose dad, Roman, a postal worker, disappears one day without a trace. The dads in the town start to disappear one by one, leaving just a note that reads "I'm going to the moon", a metaphor for beginning over or fleing from obligations. This develops devastation amongst the staying family members, as they have a hard time to understand the factors for these abrupt departures.

Adult figures are rarely present, leaving the children, especially the young boys, to mature in a hazy, without supervision limbo. Mickey and his younger sibling, Kolya, are delegated navigate their adolescence with just their mom for support, who is mentally far-off due to her own unfolding crises. Mickey takes up a task at a regional hardware store while Kolya becomes more defiant, resorting to petty theft.

Characters and Themes
Mickey's mature narrative voice offers a poignant perspective of the difficult truths and likewise acts as a testament to the resilience of the community's youth. Nevertheless, the motion picture doesn't avoid revealing the harsh effects of this plight, showing kids coming down into vibrant anarchism.

The movie highlights styles such as desertion, the search for paternal figures, and the yearning for escape, characterized by the landscape's desolation and the repeating image of a barren moon. Another style is the battle with masculinity amongst the young kids left without daddies, revealing their steps and mistakes in comprehending what it implies to be a man.

The void left by the vanished daddies is palpable and the title of the film suggests a plea to the missing daddies not to continue their chosen path and go back to their duties.

Cinematic Elements
The film uses a docu-realist style, thus providing an intimate look into the lives of the characters. Its atmospheric cinematography, including desolated environments and open landscapes, improves the styles of seclusion and abandonment essential to the story. Despite the bleak scenario, the movie finds appeal in its graveness, producing an immersive watching experience.

Concluding Points
"Don't Come Back from the Moon" offers a raw, melancholic insight into the lives of those delegated handle the repercussions of the mass exodus of the town's dads. It is a compelling watch, with its simple yet extensive narrative, checking out the harsh truths of abandonment and the hollow results of economic anguish. It provides a genuine representation of the complexities of youth, masculinity, and family characteristics under pressure, making it a socially pertinent and mentally resonant film.

Top Cast