Moon (M)

Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is nearing the end of three years working for an energy-producing mining company on the dark side of the moon, alone except for the company and help of a computer called Gerty (Kevin Spacey voice).

Sam's eager to escape his isolated, lonely, claustrophobic job and get back to Earth and home to his wife and young daughter. So much so, he's starting to show signs of cabin fever with brief hallucinations.

But an accident while on a repair mission results in a dramatic turn in his life: he begins to make a series of startling and disturbing discoveries.

What he learns is the movie's surprise. Suffice to say, he's not alone, and a mission coming to his aid could be more of a threat than a rescue.

With resonances of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris, this lean tale – from debut director Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie) – takes an unusual situation, adds intrigue and danger, and provides Rockwell with his best role ever in which he can play contrasting identity-crisis sides of his character, thankfully not named Major Tom.

• Reviewed by David Manning; DVDs for review supplied by United Video, Nelson.

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