Black Moon
A young girl flees a gender-divided apocalypse into an enigmatic refuge where family, nature, radio signals, and unicorn mythology obey dream logic.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Labyrinthine
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- dreamy
- disturbing
- arthouse film night
- surreal cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the cinematography, performances, and haunting surreal imagery while finding the allegorical narrative deliberately baffling and difficult to interpret.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lily's odyssey moves through a world where history and realities seem to run in parallel, without explanatory confirmation of what is real.
The unicorn, radio, family tableau, war, and natural surroundings function as enigmatic images rather than clearly decoded plot mechanisms.
The war between men and women and the heroine's escape create an apocalyptic premise presented through surreal, dreamlike episodes.
The film explicitly privileges pictures and allegories over a fully describable simple plot, emphasizing cinematography and performance.
Films like Black Moon, and why
Alice
surrealist fantasy, childlike quest, dream logic, and uncertainty between reality and imagination
The Holy Mountain
ambiguous fantasy, symbolic landscapes, unsettling innocence, and allegorical imagery
The Last Wave
dreamlike post-apocalyptic atmosphere, enigmatic symbolism, and visually driven narrative
The Hourglass Sanatorium
surreal psychological fantasy, fractured reality, and disturbing allegorical mood
Movie Details
- Director
- Louis Malle
- Release Date
- 1975-09-24
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (169)
Cast
- Cathryn Harrison
- Therese Giehse
- Alexandra Stewart
- Joe Dallesandro
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Black Moon about?
- A young girl flees a gender-divided apocalypse into an enigmatic refuge where family, nature, radio signals, and unicorn mythology obey dream logic.
- What is Black Moon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black Moon as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as labyrinthine.
- Is Black Moon violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Black Moon as moderate.
- What did critics think of Black Moon?
- Critics broadly admired the cinematography, performances, and haunting surreal imagery while finding the allegorical narrative deliberately baffling and difficult to interpret.
- Which films are like Black Moon?
- Films with a similar feel include Alice, The Holy Mountain, The Last Wave, and The Hourglass Sanatorium.
- How long is Black Moon?
- Black Moon runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch Black Moon?
- In United States, Black Moon streams on Criterion Channel.
