Movie : Under a Bad Moon
Director : Stephen Franklin Blanton
“We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side.”
Khalil Gibran
Under a bad moon tells the story of a former sheriff deputy who moves to the countryside after suffering an agonising breakdown post the murder of her partner. A case that is yet to find a conclusion as the murderer has not been caught yet.
However her sense of tranquility is shattered as she is awakened by the sound of a gunshot. A disturbing sound followed by Voices suggesting affliction. To her distress she discovers a dead body and a number of other people (three to be precise) in cold proximity. She decides to deal with the situation her own way, thus paving the way for an impeccably told thriller by Stephen Franklin Blanton.
The title of the movie is a proleptic indication of the disturbing occurences that take place in the course of the movie. It offers a domain for the aberrant, the violent and the vengeful.
The issue of trauma has been poignantly dealt with in the movie. It shows the dreadful contours a person must travel in order to get rid of the trauma that is relentlessly chasing her.
The protagonist is a bereaved individual who’s yet to discover the full extent of despair when her abode of solitude is shattered.
The movie is fraught with suffering. Sufferings of various kinds. It shows a world which is perhaps beyond redemption. Yet the protagonist must act as the harbinger of light and fight against the juggernaut like darkness around her. She must deal with the devil her own way. The narrative is set against the backdrop of the evidently indifferent and unperturbed nature. The tranquil and profound green that is eternal. The protagonist seeks solace in the lap of nature. Her efforts face a proverbial cul de sac due to the limitless darkness surrounding the world. She saves a woman from a couple of monsters while ensuring another young person (who accompanied them) that there still was hope, a wide space left for redemption.
The performances of all the actors must be appreciated as they did justice to the roles they were assigned. Specifically the performance of the protagonist deserves a lot of credit. Her pain could be felt even in the process of her seeking revenge. There is agony lurking within the brutal sense of vengeance hovering around the narrative.
The technical aspects of the movie have been impeccably executed. The first shot of the tranquil river , the not so benevolent moon and the chaos in between. Every shot has a tale to offer. A tale that would most likely offer very little mirth.
The movie suggests that suffering is universal and none are spared from it’s wrath. There is not one abode of eternal peace left in a world full of hatred.
Under a bad moon is perhaps the harbinger of one last dance that is offered to mankind for a little respite as much of the rest is beyond redemption.
