This underrated sci-fi movie is finally free on YouTube ‣ Diverse Daily

I love timeless sci-fi movies because they come in so many different flavors. I can watch movies like Blade Runner if I want to visit a futuristic cyberpunk world, or Terminator 2 if I’m in the mood for an action extravaganza.

Moon takes a different approach with a confined space and thoughtful plot carried by Sam Rockwell’s powerhouse performance. Instead of massive set pieces or jaw-dropping effects, it tells the tale of a man’s survival in a solitary environment where nothing’s as it seems. He must discover the truth about his existence and find a way to escape a prison he didn’t know he was in.

The movie is the directional debut of Duncan Jones of Warcraft and Source Code fame and stars Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey. It’s set in the future when the Earth gets most of its energy from a fuel called Helium-3 mined on the far side of the moon.

Astronaut Samuel Bell (Sam Rockwell) operates the Luna Industries mining operation alone with AI companion GERTY (Kevin Spacey). He’s two-weeks away from completing his work contract on the moon and can’t wait to meet his wife and young daughter, who he only sees in recorded videos and can’t have live conversations with because of communication issues.

One day, Sam goes outside to get a Helium-3 cannister and crashes his rover into a harvester. He wakes up in the base’s infirmary with no memory of the crash and is told that a rescue team will arrive soon. GERTY is adamant that he shouldn’t move and makes him suspicious.

Sam fakes an emergency to go out and investigate the crashed rover. He’s shocked to find another version of himself still in the rover. Now there are two Sams on the base and neither knows if the other is real. They are identical and have the same memories, but the new Sam is healthier and fitter while the old one is sick and tired. GERTY isn’t much help and only provides cryptic information that makes things more confusing.

The Sams are suspicious of each other, each thinking the other is a clone of himself. They also have conflicting personalities that cause tension between them. It doesn’t get them anywhere, and they eventually decide to work as a team to figure out what’s going on.

Their investigation leads to some shocking revelations that will impact their survival. Getting off the moon alive will be harder than they ever imagined and might cost them everything.

Sam Rockwell is an excellent actor and shows amazing versatility as the two Sams. He carries the weight of the movie on his shoulders and is believable as two different characters.

Moon was made on a tiny $5 million budget and went on to gross $9.8 million. It has a fantastic 90% Rotten Tomatoes critical score and is a must-see for sci-fi fans.

Moon is now streaming for free on YouTube

Watch this slow-burn sci-fi classic for free with ads

You can now watch Moon for free with ads here on YouTube. You can also find it on Amazon Prime TV or Apple TV if you’d prefer an ad-free experience.

Collectors or people who prefer physical media can get the Blu-Ray and 4K UHD discs from Amazon.

notable shows: Kitchen Nightmares, Merlin
notable movies: Clueless, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, How to Train Your Dragon, Mean Girls, Star Trek
Premium Subscription: Yes, $13.99 per month
Originals: No
Live TV: No

YouTube is one of the biggest internet video platforms of them all, with news content, viral videos, niche fandoms, and everything in between.

You can catch other iconic sci-fi movies for free on YouTube this month

Serenity is an action-packed space-western helmed by Joss Whedon. It features a gang of misfit space smugglers on their adventures in a galaxy filled with danger.

David Lynch’s Dune is the precursor to Jacques Villneuve’s reimagined blockbusters. This 1984 version tells the same story of the battle between Atreides and Harkonnen families, but is a more faithful adaptation of Frank Herbert’s iconic novel.