moonbound movie review

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Common sense media reviewers.

Fantasy adventure has stereotypes, cartoon violence.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The movie is a fantasy adventure in make-believe w

Characters display teamwork and determination. Sib

Peter is a grumpy teenage boy whose father died du

Non-White characters are portrayed as stereotypes.

A beetle loses an arm during a struggle. Bully sho

A female character is wolf-whistled. A character h

Infrequent language includes "loser," "idiots," "d

Character drinks "forget-me-not juice" whenever th

Parents need to know that Moonbound is a German animated adventure -- dubbed into English -- with cartoon violence, and some lazy and offensive stereotypes. The story centers around young Peter (Aleks Le), whose astronaut father died during a space launch, heading off to the moon in search of his missing…

Educational Value

The movie is a fantasy adventure in make-believe worlds. It is intended to entertain rather than educate.

Positive Messages

Characters display teamwork and determination. Siblings learn to get along together.

Positive Role Models

Peter is a grumpy teenage boy whose father died during a space launch. He is mean to his sister, Anne, but tries to find her when she follows Mr. Zoomzeman to the moon. He also rallies his downtrodden friends to stand up for themselves and persevere. Anne is an inventive young girl who is brave and stands up for her brother. At one point she waits for her big brother to rescue her but then deals with the problem on her own. Nightfairy is a diplomatic and fair ruler. Lightning Witch is fiery and quick to draw her bow. She admits she's lonely and is helped to be friendlier and to believe in herself.

Diverse Representations

Non-White characters are portrayed as stereotypes. For example, an Indian character is dressed in middle-eastern genie garb and calls a woman "my lovely pretty little popadom" and his "mango lassie." Character calls a three-legged beetle "crippled" and an imaginative young girl "cuckoo."

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

A beetle loses an arm during a struggle. Bully shoves and intimidates a new kid at school. Kid says bullies "want to smash my face in." Some slapstick. Characters fight when an alcohol-like substance is poured away. Character zapped with lightning bolts. A pack of dog like creatures called "Moon Poodles" snarl and intimidate. Boss hits their minion on the head with a club. References to a deceased parent.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A female character is wolf-whistled. A character hits on a woman who tells him to go away; she later flirts with another character and kisses them.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent language includes "loser," "idiots," "dork," "oh my god," and "freaks." Some potty humor, a character creates a gas tornado that knocks over cows. The derogatory term "crippled" is also used.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Character drinks "forget-me-not juice" whenever they feel sad. It is carried in a hip flask like alcohol and they are addicted; they fight another character when it's poured away. A bug lands in a glass of red wine.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Moonbound is a German animated adventure -- dubbed into English -- with cartoon violence, and some lazy and offensive stereotypes. The story centers around young Peter ( Aleks Le ), whose astronaut father died during a space launch, heading off to the moon in search of his missing sister, Anne (Lilian Gartner). The fantasy adventure elements are light-hearted and inventive. On Earth, Peter encounters bullies who shove him and use words such as "loser" and "dork." A drink called "forget-me-not" juice is used as an alcohol replacement, drunk by a talking bug whenever he feels sad. He carries it in a hip flask and fights another character when it is poured away. The handful of non-White characters are stereotypes such as an Indian character being dressed as a genie. There is also use of the derogatory term "crippled." A woman is wolf-whistled and hit on by another character, who she rejects. She later flirts with another man and kisses him. Characters display teamwork, courage, and perseverance. The film is based on the 1915 story Little Peter's Journey to the Moon by Gerdt Von Bassewitz. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

In MOONBOUND, Peter ( Aleks Le ) gets to follow in his late astronaut father's footsteps when a chance encounter kicks off an adventure that takes him to the moon on the trail of his missing sister.

Is It Any Good?

As an example of cutting edge digital animation, this German fantasy adventure is top tier. Moonbound boasts some incredible visual moments, real TV showroom stuff that would show off and sell the brightest and best models. Visually, there's no shortage of awe inspiring cosmic invention as the adventure kicks off into space, with dairy lands and giant bears. Which is why it's so miserable to see zero invention when it comes to the characters. Rather than use the flair it has in abundance in its world building, it instead slavishly copies Pixar with cookie-cutter mannerisms and overactive eyes.

With such visual flair and a flurry of fantasy inventions, it's a shame there are so few hooks to hold the viewer's attention. A couple of laughs are welcome along the way and the ending is gently uplifting. But for most of the runtime, there's little to engage with or care about. On top of that, the lame stereotypes and standard dead dad dealt to its central characters feel as tired as its character design. There's no denying Moonbound is visually spectacular. But as far as the story goes, there's little that's not been done before, and better.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the cartoon violence in Moonbound . Did it feel appropriate for a movie like this? Why, or why not? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

How do some of the characters demonstrate perseverance , courage , and teamwork ? Why are these important character strengths ? Can you think of a time when you've demonstrated these traits?

Discuss Peter and Anne's relationship. How do they overcome their sibling rivalry?

Discuss Mr. Zoomzeman's use of his "forget-me-not" juice. Did it seem like he was overly dependent on it? Do you think it symbolized alcohol and some of the issues that can cause?

How were some of the non-White characters portrayed in the movie? Why might their portrayals be described as problematic? What are some of the dangers of stereotyping people?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : September 6, 2022
• Cast : Aleks Le , Howard Nightingall , Lilian Gartner
• Director : Ali Samadi Ahadi
• Inclusion Information : Asian actors
• Studio : Viva Pictures
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Book Characters , Space and Aliens
• Run time : 85 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : some action and rude material
• Last updated : November 2, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Eye For Film >> Movies >> Moonbound (2021) Film Review

Reviewed by: Jennie Kermode

Moving house is stressful. Starting at a new school is stressful. Growing up is stressful. Life is pretty tough all round for Peter (voiced by Aleks Le), and all the more so because he has to put up with an annoying little sister. Anne (Lillian Gartner) is at that age where she feels it necessary to declare almost every thought that comes into her head. She's particularly fond of making up fantastic stories, and Peter is so fed up of them that he declares he wishes he could send her to the Moon. Then the Moon Man (Drew Sarich) kidnaps her, and he realises that it's his duty as a big brother to get her back.

The fourth animated feature from director Ali Samadi Ahadi (after the Pettersson Und Findus trilogy), Moonbound is based on 1915 German children's book Peterchens Mondfahrt (Little Peter’s Journey To The Moon), by Gerdt Von Bassewitz. The cannibalism has been removed and an extra dose of family values added to placate nervous parents in more censorious countries but the gist of the story remans the same - as does its motley collection of characters (with a few minor adjustments). The trouble is that where Von Bassewitz had plenty of room to develop them all, Ahadi is under considerably more pressure. There's a reason why it's easier to adapt a film from a short story than from a novel. Leaving little out means that the characters have needs been compacted into versions which may charm those who know them from elsewhere but which is likely to leave newcomers cold.

The vocal performances are also an issue, with the two actors voicing the children endeavouring to convey emotion mostly by changing the speed and volume of their utterances. It's all very full on and will probably work for very young viewers but leave their parents exhausted. The good news for little ones is that although there are various elements of threat in the story, these are presented in ways that it takes a bit of sophistication to understand, so rather than being immediately scary the film can be explained by a parent to whatever extent is appropriate for the child. It will easy for young viewers to appreciate the children's desire to be reunited without having to worry about other characters being enslaved or bombed. There's also a sub-plot about how badly the Moon Man treats his girlfriend which will make a good talking point for kids ready to think about the importance of valuing oneself in relationships (of all kinds) with others.

Th rushed approach to characterisation means that overall the film lacks the charm of the original story, but the central characters both have positive character arcs which make room to address subjects like bullying, the importance of imaginative play and the fact that being small doesn't mean one can't get one's way if one is also smart. The weather spirits Peter meets on his quest are nicely designed and well suited to further storytelling, drawing etc. The Moon Fairy whose whimsical approach to magic is responsible for several characters' misfortune captures the capriciousness of folkloric spirits perfectly yet remains a sympathetic figure, mirroring the way that adults often seem to young children who can make no sense of their actions.

Where charm might be lacking, wonder is not. The fantastic landscapes of the Moon and related bodies are handsomely presented, drawing on the richness of the book and on Middle Eastern artistic traditions which give them a quality distinct from that of the children's home. There's a good deal to hold the attention visually even when the characters are not being very interesting, and this helps to tide the film through slower stretches.

Although the film doesn't stand well on its own, it has a lot that will appeal to the under-sevens and could work well as a companion to the book or an accompaniment to discussion and structured play.

Signature Entertainment presents Moonbound in cinemas on 6 August

Director: Ali Samadi Ahadi

Writer: Ali Samadi Ahadi, Arne Nolting

Runtime: 85 minutes

Country: Germany, Austria

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• News & Features

Moonbound Review: Peter Pan Meets Moon Man

• Myrthe Leenders
• August 3, 2021

Moonbound is a cosmic adventure rooted in German folklore that sparkles with colour, sound, and galactic imagination, but lacks in narrative structure. 

In every culture and society, through the past centuries, storytelling has sparked our imaginations and made us bond with the people close to us. Whether snuggly seated around a campfire or comfortable under your duvet in your bed, the act of listening to a grand story of love, hope, adventure, and trust, surely brought on the wildest dreams at night and during the day. When I was young, nothing was better than listening to the voice of a loved one recanting tales, whether inspired by themselves or one of my favourite books read out loud. Think of the adventures of James Matthew Barrie’s “Peter Pan” works, or Helen Beatrix Potter’s “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”, or maybe even C. S. Lewis’s “Narnia” .

Gerdt von Bassewitz conjured up the story of Little Peter and his journey to the moon back in 1915. It has subsequently been published as a children’s book, adapted to an animated film and series in the 90s, and now under the guidance of director Ali Samadi Ahadi ( Lost Children, 45 Minutes to Ramallah ) it comes to life yet again in the colourful and musical Moonbound. In a magical adventure through strange galactic worlds and with weather makers as helpers, Peter (Aleks Le, Demon Slayer, Astral Chain ) goes on a quest to rescue his sister Anne (Lillian Gartner, Wir Sind Kaiser*in – Neues Aus Der Hofkanzlei ) from the evil Moon Man (Drew Sarich, Die Helene Fischer Show ). He is helped by Mr. Zoomzeman (Howard Nightingall, Power of the Incomprehensible, El Factor Pilgrim ), who has a quest of his own, and the ironically narcoleptic Sandman (Raphael von Bargen, Woman in Gold, Thank You for Bombing ).

Von Bassewitz’s original fairy-tale, “Peterchens Mondfahrt,” is an elaborate tale involving as many weather-based characters as perhaps J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” . Its popularity and status as a children’s classic have turned the book into one of the best-loved German children’s books, and it is still a bestseller in Germany to this day. Ali Samadi Ahadi’s adaptation to the modern big screen has the potential of being a big hit, as the visuals and sound feel like the perfect balance between a children’s imagination and an adult’s appreciation for form. However, the plot delves from one situation to another without there being a clear narrative structure. As a result, most of the jokes that are intended to appeal to adults fall flat within a convoluted narrative .

Both the set design (Sven Höffer, The Congress ) and the loop development (Fabian Berke) are spot on, and give Moonbound a certain allure of the old days of filmic fairytales. There is a certain Neverending Story and Labyrinth feel to the aesthetics of the film, that made me strangely nostalgic for my own youth again. The creation of this atmospheric playfield is massively aided by Thomas Pötz’s ( Nevrland , Cops) sound design , who manages to bring otherworldly planets and folkloric figures to life in beautifully serene soundscapes. The use of choirs and orchestras to sonically supplement the narrative works well to signify that the narrative is a fairy tale that is well over a century old, and naturally has elements of that world.

Though Moonbound takes over a lot of tropes from classic animation films, as well as its 1990 predecessor Peter in Magicland, the film also tries to incorporate a multiculturally diverse cast of weather makers , among which an empowering ‘lightning witch’ who in the end saves the day. It is only a shame that multicultural characters are not elevated from their respective stereotypes and are at times downright problematic, in this children’s universe there is clearly no room for respectful diversity. On top of that, many of the scenes that were part of the original folkloric tale, and that make it a folkloric tale in the first place, are replaced in Moonbound with more humorous scenes , involving a race that takes them through the Parmesan Desert among others and is presented by a man who seems to come straight from the Hunger Games universe. However hilarious and thrilling they might be for children to watch, they are quite meaningless to the plot and often feel like the mini games played in Super Mario Party: fun, but a major tangent.

When the film comes to its big battle between Peter and the Moon Man, so many things happen at once that could have been foreshadowed throughout the film to prevent the finale from becoming chaotic. The lightning-fast character development of the heroine who saves the day is saved till the last five minutes, whereas Peter, our main character, seems to go through no change of character at all. I thoroughly enjoyed how the film imagined the cosmic life, visually and sonically, even if the characters are a bit clichéd. It still is a nice film to watch if you happen to be babysitting your niece/nephew/neighbour anyways, and need to while away the time for an hour and a half. Moonbound shows that imagination knows no bounds , and that fairy tales and faith release the child in any one of us.

READ THE BOOK THAT INSPIRED “MOONBOUND”:

Moonbound is now available to watch on digital and on demand.

• TAGS: adaptations , genre: animation

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2021 ‘月球历险记’ Directed by Ali Samadi Ahadi

An out-of-this-world adventure.

When Peter sets out on a magical journey to rescue his little sister Anne, he needs to travel to mysterious territory: the Moon! Anne was kidnapped by the evil Moon Man when she tried to help the beetle Mr. Zoomzeman in search for his wife. On his fantastic adventure, Peter lands on the Star Meadow where he meets the sleepy Mr. Sandman. He knows, only at the Night Fairy’s dinner in the castle in the clouds, they can find out where Anne is – but there aren’t enough seats for everyone. So they join the wild race along the Milky Way against the five Spirits of Nature: Storm Giant, Lightning Witch, Henry Hail, Rainy Robin and Mother Frost…

Dirk Petrick Roxana Samadi Peter Simonischek Tom Vogt Raphael von Bargen Gerti Drassl Caroline Schreiber Bastian Wilplinger Santiago Ziesmer Rajvinder Singh Margarethe Tiesel

Director Director

Ali Samadi Ahadi

Producers Producers

Antonin Svoboda Bruno Wagner Ali Samadi Ahadi Mohammad Farokhmanesh Frank Geiger Armin Hofmann

Writers Writers

Ali Samadi Ahadi Arne Nolting Gerdt von Bassewitz

Composer Composer

Ali N. Askin

Little Dream Entertainment brave new work Filmproduktions Coop99 Filmproduktion

Austria Germany

Releases by Date

05 nov 2021, 26 may 2022, 24 jun 2021, 08 jul 2021, 06 aug 2021, 23 dec 2021, 14 jan 2022, 20 jan 2022, 03 mar 2022, 31 mar 2022, 09 jun 2022, 02 sep 2022, 02 dec 2022, 07 dec 2022, 15 dec 2022, 28 sep 2023, 07 apr 2023, releases by country.

• Theatrical PG
• Theatrical A
• Theatrical TP
• Physical DVD
• Premiere Film Festival Cottbus
• Theatrical 0
• Theatrical Unrestricted
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New Zealand

• Premiere M/6

Russian Federation

• Theatrical 6+

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Popular reviews

Review by DreamScape40 ★★★½

Nice story Fun characters

Review by nyah ★ 1

a film student and a 9 year old walk into a movie theatre that is only playing 2 movies

Review by Tiger Lily🐯🌸 ★★★★

I'll probably watch this film a couple of times throughout the next two weeks because my current job is to organize five premieres for it, and I want to watch it whenever I can at these events. I think it's really interesting to watch the same movie several times with different audiences. (The premieres are also why I'm rather inactive these days.)

This was my first time watching Moonbound on the big screen and the quality and creativity of the animation make that a real joy. Once more I had a great time with this movie. I think the downside to rewatching it, especially when it's more than once, is discovering more flaws in it, but I already noticed a few and they don't bother me that much. Let's see how they're gonna affect my future viewing experiences.

Read my full review here

Like many European children, I grew up with the story this film is based on, so when I heard that a new adaptation was coming up I was immediately interested. A while later I saw the first teaser in a cinema and really liked the look. But the actual plot twist in the story is that I started working at this movie's production company just over a month later, which was completely coincidental. So here I am watching this movie a month and a half before its official release because I'm working for it now. Feels fancy. The downside of this is that I wasn't able to watch it on a big screen, but I'll definitely catch up on that…

Review by JP Fournier ★★½

Such an inventive story. German animation may have lost something through the translations as it's super weird storytelling. The animation is often quite beautiful, with some great designs, stunning colors, and true artistic flare. While the visuals are nicely designed, the motion is not always fluid, often not able to mimic speed and movements. The voice acting is dreadful and it becomes really unpleasant throughout. Most jokes don't land because of the poor timing and delivery and a sense of panic and stress at the situations don't come out when the action gets flowing. The film has a fun race in the middle of the film that's very influenced by the podracer sequence from Star Wars: Phantom Menace. The story…

Review by 🇵🇱 Steve G 🇵🇸 ★½

Undoubtedly the worst thing about the summer holidays is films like Moonbound.

The only reason this is getting a cinema run is because it's the summer holidays and they want to catch some hapless parents' attention to try and earn a few quid before disappearing into streaming obscurity.

Well, me and my daughter were the only ones in the screening, so how's that working out for you? Needless to say it's terrible, so much so that I'm not even giving it an extra half star for the Spartacus reference.

I should have gone to see The Croods 2 again.

Review by PUNQ ★½

More than anything, it was the fantasy world this all took place it I just couldn't grasp. There was so many different cute ideas put together without care or logic, so that whatever happened didn't make sense, which results in me not caring.

There are plotholes, continuity errors and jokes that are plain unfunny, but even at the fourth watch this film is beautiful to look at and a lot of fun and that's what counts to me.

The journey of organizing five premieres for this movie is over now and it was a wild but lovely ride. I'd do it again anytime. Enjoying three days off now:)

Review by xXGagaXx ★★★★

Watched in the cinema with my kid. Very imaginitive story. Great design of characters & buildings. Pacing is a bit off and sometimes it was not funny as they obviously expected it to be.

Review by Jimbo without the Jet-Set ★

Only 80 minutes long. But feels twice as long.

Review by ma ★★★

cute animation and overall a cute story as well <3

Review by Alice

סרט שצריך לשרוף

החניכה שלי בחרה לראות אותו אז נאלצתי לסבול שעה וחצי בצפייה בזבל הכי טהור וגם מדובב לעברית

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Release date

6 th August 2021

Based on a beloved 1915 German storybook by Gerdt Von Bassewitz, about a brother and sister’s nightly trip to space, Moonbound is a generic animated comedy that seemingly owes more to Pixar and Dreamworks than it does to its whimsical source material. The framework is loyal enough to the yarn, where Little Pete and his younger sister must escort a talking beetle to the moon to save its wife. There they find an assortment of charming characters, starting with the eccentric Sandman and ending with the dreamy Night Fairy.

It’s essentially the German equivalent to Peter Pan – siblings have nocturnal adventure in their pyjamas and are back before breakfast – and is just as beloved in its home country as Barrie’s story is in the UK. But this first ever big-screen adaptation of the tale may come as a disappointment to long-term fans, given that it sacrifices the book’s unique charm in favour of the typical American template of a children’s film – and this isn’t limited to the stock emotional arc (involving sibling rivalry, try-hard comedy and high-energy, wacky chase sequences that expel any potential sense of quaint European style).

Some of the blue and starry art design nicely recalls the book’s ethereal illustrations, but there’s an unfortunate lack of coherence for adults or children to latch onto. Like the book, various characters from folklore are included, but ultimately the film doesn’t translate everything well. The picture’s mismatched elements don’t segue fluidly and it really just feels like three movies crammed into one: the first, a generic family adventure drama, the second, an eco-friendly tale about a beetle, and finally, a role call of famous folkloric faces working as a dysfunctional group. If that wasn’t odd, the animation style even changes at one point, creating an even worse whiplash effect. It’s perhaps best not watch this film on television – one might think the channel has been accidentally changed.  

Moonbound is released nationwide on 6 th August 2021.

Watch the trailer for Moonbound here:

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Moonbound (2021)

Create your own review

Ahh a nice animation film. Kids were a little bored but good story.

Possibly a bit deep for most kids.

My 12 year old daughter liked this more than my 8 year old.

My kids lost interest after a while, more story than fun animation tbh.

It's a wonderfully classic story with the old type of puppets brought to life. If like me you are from Germany you will understand it more than others. I just think it could have been finished a bit better, maybe with better animation graphics or something.

Have you seen these?

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Moonbound review — sketchy and unappealing German animation

Challenge yourself with today’s puzzles.

★★☆☆☆ Based on one of Germany’s most popular children’s books, this fantastical (dubbed) animation at least offers a cultural break from US studio fare, even if it will send you running back into the arms of Pixar .

Gerdt Von Bassewitz’s 1915 fairytale is rebooted to the present (more self-realisation, less cannibalism), where space-mad Peter (voiced by Aleks Le) and his feisty little sister (a clone of Toy Story 3 ’s Bonnie voiced by Lilian Gartner) are spirited away to the moon on a garbled quest that involves retrieving the lost limb of a beetle (Howard Nightingale) and taking down a big, mean purple Thanos lookalike (Drew Sarich).

The computer animation is surprisingly good. However, the characters, mostly drawn from German folklore, are sketchy and

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Short takes

Not suitable under 4; parental guidance to 5 (mild crude humour, scary characters, sense of threat, sad themes such as parental death and loss of loved ones)

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details of classification and consumer advice lines for Moonbound
• a review of Moonbound completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 24 June 2021 .

Overall comments and recommendations

About the movie.

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• use of violence
• material that may scare or disturb children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie’s message

A synopsis of the story

Based on the children’s classic fairy-tale, Little Peter’s Journey to the Moon , by German author and playwright, Gerdt von Bassewitz, Moonbound tells the story of Mr Zoomzeman (voiced by Howard Nightingale), a now elderly June bug. Mr Zoomzeman has spent his whole adult life searching for brave humans, who have never hurt any animals, to help him retrieve what he had lost many years ago. When a mean thief (Drew Sarich) cut down his home, a big beautiful birch tree, Mr Zoomzeman asked the Night Fairy (Cindy Robinson) for help. The Night Fairy banished the thief and his two accomplices to the moon, tragically, along with the birch tree, one of Mr Zoomzeman’s arms, and his newlywed wife, Mrs Zoomzeman. When Mr Zoomzeman meets young Anne (Lilian Gartner), and her brother Peter (Aleks Le), he knows he has found the chosen humans and together they venture on a fantastic journey to the stars, to stop the evil Moon Man once and for all, and to retrieve Mr Zoomzeman’s arm and birch tree, and lost love.

Themes info

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Fantasy; Adventure; Family; Friendship.

Use of violence info

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie, including:

• The wood thief, who later becomes the Moon Man, is selfish and ruthless, has evil intentions, and is prepared to use violence. He ruthlessly cut down the bugs’ home; he destroys the heavenly ‘Shooting Star School’; he kidnaps Anne and the shooting stars and makes them work in a factory; and he fires a canon on the Night Fairy’s palace with the intention of destroying her and ruling over the universe.
• One of the Nature Spirits, the ‘Lightning Witch’ casts lightning bolts at people.

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under five info.

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

• Some children may become upset that Anne and Peter had lost their father in a space shuttle accident.
• Some children might get worried that Anne and Peter may never return home, unless they get back before sunrise.
• The wood thief – later the Moon Man – looks mean and scary. He has a pack of vicious ‘moon poodles’ that chase Peter, Zoomzeman, and their friend and helper, the Sandman.

Aged five to eight info

Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

• Nothing further of concern.

Product placement

• None noted.

Sexual references

Nudity and sexual activity.

There is some nudity and sexual activity in this movie, including:

• It is indicated that the Moon Man and the Lightning Witch are a couple. They exchange a couple of hearty kisses.

Use of substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

• The Night Fairy has a glass of red wine.
• Mr Zoomzeman has a little flask with a “Forget-me-not” drink that can be assumed to have a similar “sorrow-drowning” effect as alcohol.

Coarse language

There is some mild coarse language in this movie, including:

In a nutshell

Moonbound is a sweet adaptation of von Bassewitz’s classic story of two brave and selfless young children who go on a fantastic journey to help a little animal friend. While there are some clichés (e.g. a spirited, playful little sister who annoys her more sincere, older brother; a gang of bullies who pick on the new kid at the school; a ruthless villain who seeks vengeance and wants to rule the universe; complete with two rather dumb and clumsy henchmen), the movie features relatable, funny, and quirky characters and positive role models, and contains a heap of positive messages. The pace of the movie is quick, and the story line complex, so very young children may lose track or interest. Because of that and due to some sad and scary themes (facing an evil villain, leaving home, losing loved ones etc.), the movie is most suitable for a family audience with children over 4, with parental guidance for children aged 4-5.

The main messages from this movie are that is important to look out for one another; to be persistent; and to follow one’s dreams.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

• Family cohesion and friendship.
• Resourcefulness.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

• ‘What goes around comes around’: The side story of the Lightning Witch teaches that mean and rude behaviour makes you unpopular, but that it’s never too late to make good choices and to make up for past mistakes.

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Moonbound (2021).

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An out-of-this-world adventure.

When Peter sets out on a magical journey to rescue his little sister Anne, he needs to travel to mysterious territory: the Moon! Anne was kidnapped by the evil Moon Man when she tried to help the beetle Mr. Zoomzeman in search for his wife. On his fantastic adventure, Peter lands on the Star Meadow where he meets the sleepy Mr. Sandman. He knows, only at the Night Fairy’s dinner in the castle in the clouds, they can find out where Anne is – but there aren’t enough seats for everyone. So they join the wild race along the Milky Way against the five Spirits of Nature: Storm Giant, Lightning Witch, Henry Hail, Rainy Robin and Mother Frost…

Ali Samadi Ahadi

Director, Writer

Gerdt von Bassewitz

Arne Nolting

Top Billed Cast

Dirk Petrick

Peter (voice)

Roxana Samadi

Anne (voice)

Peter Simonischek

Zoomzeman (voice)

Moonman (voice)

Raphael von Bargen

Sandman (voice)

Gerti Drassl

Nightfairy (voice)

Caroline Schreiber

Lightning Witch (voice)

Bastian Wilplinger

Storm Giant (voice)

Santiago Ziesmer

Henry Hail (voice)

Full Cast & Crew

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Original Title 月球历险记

Status Released

Original Language German

Budget $2,000,000.00

Revenue $6,666,618.00

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• Film History
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• Sotto le Stelle dell’Austria
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This post is also available in: Italiano ( Italian ) Deutsch ( German )

by Ali Samadi Ahadi

Moonbound is all in all an enjoyable, colourful and, at times, adrenaline-fuelled feature film for families. a film with an international scope that, however, both in terms of the script and the realisation of the cgi pictures, suffers greatly from the comparison with other animated films made in the meantime all over the world. at the diagonale’22 ., looking for the lost arm.

The fairy tale Peterchens Mondfahrt , written in 1912 by Gerdt von Bassewitz and based on the play of the same name, has become a classic, to the point of inspiring numerous film adaptations, both in live action and animation. No wonder, then, that over the years this fairy tale has been adapted each time according to the filmic approaches typical of a certain era, each time taking on different connotations. With regard to Moonbound , the version made in 2021 by director Ali Samadi Ahadi and presented to the audience at the Diagonale’22 as part of the section Kinderkino , for instance, it is interesting to observe how the story tends to adapt to the models of American animated cinema, favouring certain visual effects rather than the development of the script itself. But let us go step by step.

Peter is twelve years old, has recently moved house with his mother and his little sister Anna and, once grown up, wants to become an astronaut, just like his father, who has recently passed away. One day Anna starts telling him about some encounters with a bizarre talking beetle, who has asked him for help in order to retrieve his arm and his bride, both of whom are on the moon after having been kidnapped by an evil entity. Peter is initially incredulous, yet for him and his sister, a quite unusual journey will begin.

Moonbound , therefore, is all in all an enjoyable, colourful and, at times, adrenaline-fuelled feature film for families. A film with an international scope that, however, both in terms of the script and the realisation of the CG depictions, does not manage to match the aforementioned American models, classifying itself as an undoubtedly pleasant, but also – unfortunately – easily forgettable film. The story of the two siblings thrills, but not too much, entertains, but not too much.

During their journey, the two young protagonists meet a series of bizarre characters. In addition to the aforementioned beetle, in fact, the Sandman, Frau Holle, but also the Night Fairy and many adorable little selenites contribute to enrich this feature film by Ali Samadi Ahadi. Let’s agree: Moonbound suffers greatly from the comparison with other animated feature films made in the meantime all over the world. The desire to emulate better-known production companies has probably caused the focus of the story itself to be lost. If, therefore, the film will soon be forgotten, it is not surprising. And yet, for about an hour and a half, this pleasant little feature film can easily appeal to youngsters, also conveying to them an important message concerning the importance of love and the preservation of the planet.

Original title: Peterchens Mondfahrt Directed by: Ali Samadi Ahadi Country/year: Austria, Germany / 2021 Running time: 85’ Genre: animation , family Cast: Dirk Petrick , Peter Simonischek , Roxana Samadi , Raphael van Bargen , Tom Vogt , Gerti Drassl , Caroline Schreiber , Margarete Tiesel Screenplay: Ali Samadi Ahadi , Arne Nolting Cinematography: Mathias Neumann , Ergun Cankaya Produced by: Coop99 Filmproduktion , Little Dream Entertainment , brave new work

Info: the page of Moonbound on the website of the Diagonale; the page of Moonbound on iMDb

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Peterchens Mondfahrt

A young boy embarks on an intergalactic mission to save his little sister from the clutches of a vengeful man on the moon. A young boy embarks on an intergalactic mission to save his little sister from the clutches of a vengeful man on the moon. A young boy embarks on an intergalactic mission to save his little sister from the clutches of a vengeful man on the moon.

• Ali Samadi Ahadi
• Arne Nolting
• Jacob Banigan
• Stephan Benson
• David Daria
• 6 User reviews
• 18 Critic reviews
• 2 nominations

• (English version)
• Frau Maikäfer

• (US version)
• Mr. Zoomzeman
• Frau Sumsemann

• (as Dennis Kozeluh)
• Lightning Witch

• Mrs. Ladybug

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia The children's book upon which this film is based was written in 1915. The cannibalism aspect of the book's plot does not feature in the movie.

Mr. Zoomzeman : [complaining] I like your sister better Peter

User reviews 6

• silicontourist
• Oct 19, 2021
• How long is Peterchens Mondfahrt? Powered by Alexa
• September 6, 2022 (United States)
• Brave New Work
• Coop99 Filmproduktion
• Fish Blowing Bubbles
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• €7,600,000 (estimated)

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 25 minutes

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Based on the children’s fairy tale Little Peter’s Journey to the Moon by German author Gerdt von Bassewitz, Moonbound tells the story of Mr Zoomzeman (voiced by Howard Nightingale), an elderly June bug.

Mr Zoomzeman has spent his whole adult life searching for brave humans, who’ve never hurt any animals, to help him retrieve something he lost many years ago. When a mean thief (Drew Sarich) cut down Mr Zoomzeman’s home, a beautiful birch tree, Mr Zoomzeman asked the Night Fairy (Cindy Robinson) for help. The Night Fairy banished the thief and his two accomplices to the moon. Tragically, the birch tree, one of Mr Zoomzeman’s arms, and his newlywed wife, Mrs Zoomzeman, were all sent to the moon too.

When Mr Zoomzeman meets young Anne (Lilian Gartner), and her brother Peter (Aleks Le), he knows he has found the right humans to help him. Together they go on a fantastic journey to the stars to stop the evil Moon Man once and for all, and to retrieve Mr Zoomzeman’s arm, birch tree and lost love.

Fantasy; adventure; family; friendship

Moonbound has some violence. For example:

• The wood thief becomes the Moon Man. He’s selfish and ruthless, has evil intentions, and is prepared to use violence. He ruthlessly cuts down the bugs’ home. He destroys the heavenly Shooting Star School, kidnaps Anne and the shooting stars, and makes them work in a factory. He also fires a cannon on the Night Fairy’s palace with the intention of destroying her and ruling over the universe.
• One of the Nature Spirits, the Lightning Witch, casts lightning bolts at people.

Sexual references

There are no sexual references in Moonbound .

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Moonbound shows some use of substances. For example:

• The Night Fairy has a glass of red wine.
• Mr Zoomzeman has a little flask filled with a ‘Forget-me-not’ drink.

Nudity and sexual activity

There is some sexual activity in Moonbound . For example, the Moon Man and the Lightning Witch seem to be a couple. They kiss each other a couple of times.

Product placement

There’s no product placement in Moonbound .

Coarse language

Moonbound has some mild coarse language, including ‘idiot’, ‘smartarse’, ‘dumbass’ and ‘dork’.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Moonbound is a sweet adaptation of Gerdt von Bassewitz’s classic story of two brave and selfless young children who go on a fantastic journey to help a little animal friend. It does have some clichés, including a spirited, playful little sister who annoys her more sincere, older brother, bullies who pick on the new kid at the school, a ruthless villain who seeks vengeance and wants to rule the universe, and two stupid and clumsy henchmen. But it also features relatable, funny and quirky characters and positive role models, and plenty of positive messages.

The pace of Moonbound is quick, and the storyline is complex, so very young children might lose track or interest. Because of this and sad and scary themes about facing an evil villain, leaving home and losing loved ones, this movie is most suitable for a family audience with children over 4 years. We also recommend parental guidance for children aged 4-5 years.

These are the main messages from Moonbound :

• Look out for one another.
• Be persistent and never give up.
• Follow your dreams.

Values in Moonbound that you could reinforce with your children include family cohesion, friendship, kindness, courage and resourcefulness.

Moonbound could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life situations, like the consequences of behaving meanly and rudely towards others. The subplot involving the Lightning Witch shows that this behaviour makes you unpopular, but also that it’s never too late to make good choices and make up for past mistakes.

• Australia edition
• International edition
• Europe edition

It Runs in the Family review – heartfelt tribute from one film-maker to another

When Victoria Villegas learned how her cousin had fled the Dominican Republic, and was gay like her, she was moved to chart his life

T here have been experimental, freestyling essay films and memoiristic documentaries around for years, going back to Chris Marker’s Sans Soleil or Agnès Varda’s The Gleaners and I . But just lately it feels like the sprawling poetic-realist subgenre is flourishing, especially in the sunny uplands of film festivals. Like an extension of the creative-writing exhortation to “write about what you know” young documentary-makers are increasingly shooting movies about not just who they are but also their family history. Sometimes family members are even corralled into play themselves or others, like some cinematic family drama-therapy experiment.

If you want a few recent examples, check out Miryam Charles’s recent Cette Maison , or Moroccan director Asmae el Moudir’s The Mother of All Lies, both of which recreate traumas from the directors’ family histories. Now add to that list this one, directed by Victoria Linares Villegas, a young Dominican film-maker who found out that her second cousin was Oscar Torres, a significant if now obscure film-maker who left the Dominican Republic not long after the military dictator Rafael Trujillo came to power in the 1930s, and then fled to Cuba to make leftist films celebrating the common man. Torres was also a film critic for a time, championing neo-realists such as Vittorio De Sica. Villegas sets to find and understand Oscar’s work, but also his more personal story – and about halfway through it emerges that he was bisexual, which resonates with Villegas, herself a lesbian.

Much like The Mother of All Lies, by the end Victoria has cajoled members of her own family, who have kept stumm for years about cousin Oscar, to perform readings/reenactments of his unwritten stage plays. These veer towards melodrama, but the artless underacting of the amateur performers rather sweetly undercuts the excess. Elsewhere, Victoria deploys painterly cutout animation and discontinuous editing, which serves to make the whole package feel even more dreamlike and offbeat. It’s nowhere near as strange and wild as Cette Maison, which is both a virtue and a flaw in some ways, but this is heartfelt, individual cinema with its own distinctive voice.

• Documentary films
• Dominican Republic
• LGBTQ+ rights
• Film criticism

Most viewed

'Civil War' review: Kirsten Dunst leads visceral look at consequences of a divided America

We see “Civil War” trending on social media all too commonly in our divided country, for one reason or another, and usually nodding to extreme cultural or ideological differences. With his riveting new action thriller of the same name, writer/director Alex Garland delivers a riveting cautionary tale that forces viewers to confront its terrifying real-life consequences.

“Civil War” (★★★½ out of four; rated R; in theaters Friday) imagines a near-future America that’s dystopian in vision but still realistic enough to be eerily unnerving. It's a grounded, well-acted ode to the power of journalism and a thought-provoking, visceral fireball of an anti-war movie.

Played exceptionally by Kirsten Dunst , Lee is an acclaimed war photographer covering a fractured America: The Western Forces led by California and Texas have seceded from the USA and are days away from a final siege on the federal government. Lee and her reporting partner Joel (Wagner Moura) have been tasked with traveling from New York City to Washington to interview the president (Nick Offerman) before the White House falls.

After visually capturing humanity's worst moments, Lee is as world-weary and jaded as one can be. But after saving aspiring photographer Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) during a Brooklyn suicide bombing, Lee becomes a reluctant mentor as the young woman worms her way into their crew. Also in the press van: senior journalist Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), hitching a ride to the Western Forces military base in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Most of “Civil War” is an episodic odyssey where Lee and company view the mighty toll taken by this conflict: the graveyard of cars on what’s left of I-95, for example, or how an innocent-looking holiday stop turns deadly courtesy of an unseen shooter. Primarily, however, it’s a disturbing internal examination of what happens when we turn on each other, when weekend warriors take up arms against trained soldiers, or armed neighbors are given a way to do bad things to people they just don’t like.

'No dark dialogue!': Kirsten Dunst says 5-year-old son helped her run lines for 'Civil War'

Given its polarizing nature, “Civil War" is actually not that "political." Garland doesn’t explain what led to the secession or much of the historical backstory, and even Offerman’s president isn’t onscreen enough to dig into any real-life inspirations, outside of some faux bluster in the face of certain defeat. (He’s apparently in his third term and dismantled the FBI, so probably not a big Constitutionalist.)

Rather than two hours of pointing fingers, Garland is more interested in depicting the effect of a civil war rather than the cause. As one sniper points out in a moment when Lee and Joel are trying not to die, when someone’s shooting a gun at you, it doesn’t matter what side you’re on or who’s good and who's bad.

The director’s intellectual filmography has explored everything from ecological issues ( “Annihilation” ) to AI advancement ( “Ex Machina” ), and there are all sorts of heady themes at play in “Civil War.” “What kind of American are you?” asks a racist soldier played with a steady, ruthless cruelty by Jesse Plemons (Dunst's husband) in a disturbing scene that nods to an even deeper conflict in society than the one torching this fictionalized version. There's also an underlying sense of apathy that the characters face, with hints that much of the country is just willfully ignoring the conflict because they'd rather not think about it. But this hellish road trip also maintains a sense of hopefulness − via the growing relationship between Lee and Jessie – and is pretty exciting even with its multitude of horrors.

'You get paid a lot of money': Kirsten Dunst says she's open for another superhero movie

“Civil War” is a thoughtful movie with blockbuster ambitions, and while it does embrace more of a straightforward action flick vibe toward its climactic end, Garland still lands a lasting gut punch. He immerses audiences in the unpredictable nature of war, with gunfire and explosions leaving even the calmest sort on edge, and paints a sprawling canvas of an America forever changed. Thankfully, it’s just a warning and not a promise, using the movie theater as a public service announcement rather than an escape from the real world.

Screen Rant

Inkbound review: "a remarkable roguelike".

Inkbound is an incredible roguelike with a penchant for that "one more time" gameplay that keeps it fun.

• Inkbound features incredibly deep and varied gameplay mechanics and upgrades.
• It offers clear explanations and customization, making runs memorable and rewarding.
• The cooperative gameplay in Inkbound adds twists, scales difficulty, and enhances the multiplayer experience.

Inkbound , from developer Shiny Shoe, is the studio's follow-up effort to the award-winning Monster Train . While they're starkly different, they do exist within the same roguelike genre , and it appears that lessons learned from the previous game have colored what's available in Inkbound . What's here is a remarkable roguelike that successfully captures the "one more time" gameplay that characterizes the greats, all the while captivating with metaprogression that keeps things fresh enough to warrant deeper exploration.

Inkbound stars the Needless, a mute protagonist who emerges from a sea of ink into the Atheneum, a library-like sanctuary at the end of the world. A plague of monsters has descended upon this world and begun to steal the ink from the pages of stories, causing them to fade from existence. The Needless quickly proves that they're able to bond with a Kwill, allowing them to mimic the heroic aspects of fabled legends of the past. Using that power, they explore ink-filled stories in an attempt to make sense of a world that's not everything it seems at first glance.

Inkbound is an excellent new roguelike launch with enough differences from other successes to make a strong case for repeated play.

• Incredibly deep customization
• Engaging aesthetic and storyline
• Multiplayer adds additional layers of strategy and fun

Inkbound's Gameplay Is Incredibly Deep & Varied

Mechanics & upgrades are fun.

Inkbound functions a lot like any other roguelike when it begins a run , putting the Needless in front of a choice of three different worlds to choose from after selecting which boss they'd like to face if they're lucky enough to reach the end of their journey. The bosses all function differently and learning how they operate is often at the expense of losing a run, but they're also tied to story beats and progression unlocks, so there's incentive provided to experiment anyways. The worlds themselves feel different aesthetically, but enemies do blend together (with bosses as exceptions).

Once a run begins, the Needless progresses through a map by selecting potential pathways that yield treasure, combat, or opportunities to manipulate their loadout. Rather than, say, a deck of cards, the Needless' chosen Aspect provides a base set of three abilities that are then supplemented by another few that are selected during the run. It helps create a sense of consistency in the gameplay that lends itself well to producing a lot of interesting runs; there's a guarantee that each one will be functional, so there isn't a make-or-break need to catch the right side of variance to create something gamebreaking.

Inkbound 's gameplay also contains other compounding elements that unlock across runs, like trinkets that can be used to influence builds even further . Some guarantee a secondary ability appears during a run, which lets players further prepare a loadout ahead of time to make sure they're not stuck without finding what they want. These abilities are synergistic and unique to the Aspects they're assigned to, and they scale in terms of difficulty. The Magmabreaker, for instance, is the most simplistic and accessible; the Weaver, on the other hand, takes significantly more time to get used to, and isn't nearly as beginner-friendly. Future Aspects unlocks are generally more complicated.

Once combat begins, the Needless can move around the battlefield to establish desirable positioning while also viewing previews of enemy attacks so that they can avoid them. Abilities can help the Needless dash around, prepare shielding, or establish debuff AoE attacks to shake up battles beyond just attacking and defending. In general, combat feels a little bit easier than the average roguelike to begin with, but metaprogression that increases difficulty for each run following a victory quickly ramps things up into more difficult space.

Through music and aesthetic, the world of Inkbound also gradually becomes more captivating.

Overall, combat in Inkbound is a memorable experience that offers a significant amount of variety . The game doesn't hide anything behind obscurity, with clear explanations of what abilities and other mechanics do. There's so much customization and even scrapping parts of a build can yield permanent bonuses to elements that then yield their own bonuses; it's an intricate web of complementary systems that makes figuring them out a delight. Across dozens of runs, it still feels like things are clicking about different build options, and that's before diving into co-op multiplayer.

Inkbound 's cooperative gameplay is largely the same game, but with a few twists . Beyond the obvious nuance of other players affecting the battlefield, there are upgrade options that cater to co-op, providing buffs for allies. While the difficulty scales with the group size, enemies aren't always targeting the same Needless, so it feels a little bit easier to participate with friends. Otherwise, it functions pretty much the same, which is actually high praise since singleplayer is so well-crafted and honed.

"An Undeniably Addictive Roguelike" - Astral Ascent Review

Inkbound's world drips with details, eschewing standard roguelike obscurity.

Atheneum is a wonderful hub to return to after a run. Inkbound 's characters are strengths, even if some of them feel like they could use a bit more exploration earlier on. The game doesn't quite strike the balance of show-not-tell and gradual interest that Hades does, but it's a clear inspiration and one that's been used well. The few people who populate the library each have their own secrets and ideas about why the world is the way it is once the Needless shows up. As things start to unravel and ulterior motivations come to light, Inkbound 's narrative fuels even more runs on curiosity alone.

There's also a refreshing lack of obscurity in Inkbound that's uncommon in roguelikes . There's the requisite amount of mystery that's only possible to bring to light after dying dozens of times, but the characters that populate its safe havens are quick to start talking about themselves and their concerns. Quests help expand their stories while also unlocking Aspects or other features, tying the universe of Inkbound with the mechanics it so eagerly wants to share.

Through music and aesthetic, the world of Inkbound also gradually becomes more captivating. Character designs are memorable and the sounds underscoring different areas and story beats evoke sensations of fading stories or glimmers of hope. It's all tied together with a highly customizable Needless that, regardless of cosmetic choices, looks like an outsider to these small tales. Bridging that gap is part of Inkbound , and it's an interesting conceit that helps spotlight the malleable nature of stories.

Final Thoughts & Review Score

Overall, Inkbound is a great roguelike with a wonderful combination of storytelling, gameplay, and small innovations that make it a standout in a very crowded genre. There's no shortage of combinations to make between Aspects, Vestiges, and the abilities unearthed during a run, and that kind of variety is supplemented by cosmetic items unlocked over the course of questing and run completion. Visual and audio greatness ties the whole package together.

What's here is a shining example of how a studio can find its niche and iterate on it without playing it safe. Shiny Shoe has really made something special here and with season leaderboards and multiplayer adding even more layers of potential competition and metaprogression, it really feels like Inkbound is a must-play for anyone who enjoys the roguelike genre .

Screen Rant was provided with a PC code for the purpose of this review.

‘Intercepted’ Review: A Portrait of the War in Ukraine Told Through Haunting Images and Soundscapes

Documentarian Oksana Karpovych mixes the intercepted phone calls of Russian soldiers with images of the destruction they wrought, showing how and why war happens.

By Murtada Elfadl

Murtada Elfadl

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A sense of foreboding permeates “ Intercepted ” from its first few frames, cueing audiences that they are about to witness something sinister. Documentarian Oksana Karpovych shows peaceful images of children playing outside and birds chirping in the distance. Also heard on the soundtrack are ominous recordings, not exactly music but faint siren-like sounds that announce the film’s subject. This unique film uses eerie images of destruction juxtaposed with voices on phones to document life in war for Ukrainians and the Russian soldiers who invaded their country.  

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Additionally, “Intercepted” offers a spare psychological portrait of soldiers at war. Gleaned directly from their conversations, this is an honest depiction of how empathy disappears and malice takes over. It is also a political snapshot laying bare how both belief in propaganda and disillusionment with leaders can co-exist and lead to apathy. Later in the film, Ukrainian people start to appear trying to go back to their lives. They are shown rummaging in the remains of their homes or taking in the destruction that surrounds them. Accompanying these images, what’s heard is the Russians’ justification for and confusion about this invasion. It’s all senseless violence, yet Karpovych’s explicit no-frills filmmaking clears up why it continues to happen. 

Spending an hour and half contemplating the futility of human behavior is not for the faint of heart. The repetitive nature of these images might lead to agitation and restlessness. Yet that’s precisely why Karpovych’s vision makes such a strong impact. In a time of daily images of war on the evening news and social media, “Intercepted” shows generally why war keeps happening and specifically how Ukrainians are living through this invasion.

Reviewed at New Directors/New Films, New York, April 12, 2024. Running time: 92 MIN.

• Production: (Documentary – France-Ukraine-Canada) A Les Films Cosmos, Hutong Prods., Moon Man production, in co-production with ARTE France, Génération Ukraine. (World sales: Lightdox.) Producers: Producers: Rocío B. Fuentes, Giacomo Nudi, Pauline Tran Van Lieu, Lucie Rego, Darya Bassel, Olha Beskhmelnytsina.
• Crew: Director, writer: Oksana Karpovych. Camera: Christopher Nunn. Editor: Charlotte Tourrès.
• Music By: NFNR.

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‘In Flames’ Review: A Patriarchy Horror Story

Set in Pakistan, the story of a young woman and her family, hemmed in by men, shifts from realism to genre, with heart-pumping consequences.

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By Alissa Wilkinson

It takes about an hour for “In Flames” to reveal itself as proper genre horror, but trepidation lurks from the start. In Karachi, Pakistan, the 20-something Mariam (Ramesha Nawal) lives with her widowed mother, Fariha (Bakhtawar Mazhar), and her younger brother, Bilal (Jibran Khan), who’s mostly glued to his video games. The family has been financially dependent on Fariha’s father-in-law, but as the film opens, he has just died — and Fariha’s brother-in-law, Uncle Nasir (Adnan Shah Tipu), is suddenly very interested in the relatives he had been neglecting.

Fariha teaches at an elementary school, and Mariam is studying for exams that will qualify her to be a doctor. They’re smart, capable women who are less concerned with dismantling established social orders than they are with keeping their home and family intact. Yet their lives are hemmed in by the men around them, with a constriction that’s suffocating. For one, there is Uncle Nasir, who has offered to pay the family’s outstanding debts if Fariha signs some documents, which Mariam pleads with her to avoid doing. But there’s also the man who throws a brick through the car window when Mariam is driving to the library, calling her a whore. Or the man who lurks outside her window, masturbating. Or even the nice young man from the library, Asad (Omar Javaid), who won’t leave Mariam alone.

As the women scramble to save their home, the walls close in on them, and that’s the point: “In Flames,” a confident feature debut written and directed by Zarrar Kahn, is one of several recent films from around the world that frame patriarchy as a nightmare. The most recent may be “ Shayda ,” set in Iran, but even movies like “Poor Things” and “Promising Young Woman” play with the same idea, albeit with a lighter touch. This one is set in Pakistan, in the midst of debates about religious fundamentalism and gender roles, but the outlines are familiar even to audiences in very different circumstances. Men commit obvious, blatant offenses, confident the system is stacked in their favor. But even the “good guys” are locked in a culture that rewards them for refusing to listen to the women who, it’s made clear, are holding the country together.

That means the horror extends to the male perpetrators, who couldn’t find their way out of the maze of unjust systems if they tried. But there’s no question the women bear the brunt of it, whether the perpetrator is abusive, or greedy, or just clueless. To seek help is fruitless, and dangerous; being in debt to yet one more man is another way to put yourself at risk.

Kahn manages to assemble the story in a way that escapes feeling like a series of object lessons. He centers the story on Mariam, giving Nawal’s expressive eyes plenty of time to convey emotions she dares not speak aloud. Mariam’s environment signals her inner life. Sometimes the character is in claustrophobic interiors, where she can’t escape others’ prying eyes; sometimes she’s blessedly alone; and sometimes she’s experiencing brief moments of respite in expansive, beautiful scenery. She feels a pull between the freedom she craves and the responsibility she feels to her family. Technically, Mariam is a plucky heroine. But she isn’t rebellious, or even defiant. She’s just trying to survive.

Wisely, Kahn creates a world in which Mariam and Fariha cannot help but be pulled apart, ruptured by the patriarchy’s force. The only way for each to endure is to depend on yet another man to help them, which has profoundly middling results, and an element of always-present danger. When the film finally gives way to full horror, the pace picks up, and we see what the movie’s been doing all along. Oppression isn’t always blatant, and it isn’t the work of individuals acting alone. It comes like night terrors, paralyzing both oppressor and oppressed — and escape can require drastic action.

In Flames Not rated. In Urdu, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 38 minutes. In theaters.

Alissa Wilkinson is a Times movie critic. She’s been writing about movies since 2005. More about Alissa Wilkinson

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2021, Kids & family/Comedy, 1h 24m

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Moonbound   photos.

A boy embarks on an intergalactic mission to save his younger sister from the clutches of a vengeful man on the moon.

Rating: PG (Some Action and Rude Material)

Genre: Kids & family, Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Animation

Original Language: German

Director: Ali Samadi Ahadi

Producer: Frank Geiger , Ali Samadi Ahadi , Mohammad Farokhmanesh , Armin Hofmann

Writer: Arne Nolting , Ali Samadi Ahadi

Runtime: 1h 24m

Production Co: Brave New Work Film Productions, Little Dream Entertainment, Coop99 Filmproduktion

Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Cast & Crew

Peter Voice

Howard Nightingall

Mr. Zoomzeman, Rainy Robin Voice

Raphael von Bargen

Sandman, Mr. Ladybug Voice

Drew Sarich

Moonman, Milkyway Man, Herschel Voice

Ali Samadi Ahadi

Arne Nolting

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Frank Geiger

Mohammad Farokhmanesh

Armin Hofmann

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