In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)

Overview and Plot
"In the Shadow of the Moon" is a 2019 science-fiction thriller directed by Jim Mickle. The film features an interesting blend of time-travel, crime, and secret, headlined by stars Boyd Holbrook, Cleopatra Coleman, and Bokeem Woodbine. The storyline unfolds over several years, primarily in Philadelphia, and centers around a mix of inexplicable murders, family disaster, and a time-traveling assassin.

The film begins in 1988 when Officer Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook), excited to become an investigator, is presented with a series of mysterious homicides - puncture wounds at the base of the brain, and the victims literally dissolved from within. He partners with his brother-in-law, Detective Holt (Bokeem Woodbine), to solve the cases. They encounter a young African-American female suspect who is relatively connected to all the murders. However, she dies during a confrontation, stopping the killings.

Time-jump Narrative and Character Development
Every 9 years, beginning with 1988, the exact same unusual killings repeat, and each time, the same female suspect inexplicably reappears, only to pass away again at each scene. Thomas becomes obsessed with fixing this seemingly impossible case, gradually isolating him from his household and causing his divorce. As his life crumbles around him, his single-minded pursuit of the truth behind the murders becomes his defining purpose.

The story pushes forward to 2006, where Thomas is now a recluse. The suspected killer reappears once again, and this time he manages to record her, revealing her as Rya, represented by Cleopatra Coleman. She discusses she's from the future, on a mission to prevent a civil war by strategically eliminating individuals who were to stimulate the lethal conflict.

Conclusion and Final Reveal
In the movie's climax, Thomas finds out that Rya is really his own granddaughter. His fixation with resolving the case indirectly caused his child becoming a fanatic, whose extremist concepts fire up a violent civil war in 2024. Rya was returned in time to change this truth by killing the key provocateurs of the dispute, including her mother.

A last time loop to 2015 results in the death of Thomas' daughter due to orchestrated events by Rya. In the last scene, set in 2024, Thomas satisfies young Rya, whom he would raise following her mother's death. The movie ends with Thomas mentor Rya to ensure she has the intelligence and psychological strength to carry out the mission she is destined for.

Reception
"In the Shadow of the Moon" got blended reviews, with appreciation for its ambitious storytelling and remarkable elements, but criticism for its handling of complicated scientific and social styles. Eventually, though, the film offers a special viewpoint on time travel stories by linking it with a haunting crime saga and a tale of personal redemption.

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