A well-made addition into the sci-fi scene, Duncan Jones' debut film combines his love of classic 1970s sci-fi pieces (notably 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris) and crafts an emotive, involving and satisfying piece of cinema.
Anchored by leading man Sam Rockwell's absorbing performance as lunar worker Sam Bell. Nearing the end of a solo 3 year stint mining and with only the central computer GERTY (Kevin Spacey) he is almost home. However, with only 3 weeks left an unexpected discovery will suddenly challenge his reality and perception of himself. Exploring sci-fi concepts such as humanity, identity, and technology the overall film satisfies thanks to it's minimalist approach, concentrating on Sam and his journey and letting the ideas mill around in the background for the viewer to take in on their own. Overall, while the 'truth' may not be quite as twisty or unexpected for seasoned sci-fi fans it's nontheless effectively done.
For a low budget film the effects are very well done - clearly models, but models of the highest quality and carefully shot, and comparative lack of CGI is refreshing - although there is a featurette on the effects work that reveals there's a bit more than you might think! And it's the ideas within the script that matter more anyway. Even though the film also looks very nice on Blu-ray. Recommended for both the avid sci-fi fan and those who like something different once in a while.