Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- frantic
- uncomfortable
- dark comedy night
- relationship drama double feature
What critics said
Critics largely regarded the film as a shrill, tonally uneven black comedy whose relationship premise and performances were more compelling than its execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Louise duct-tapes Ian to a toilet to stop his departure and force him to confront their marriage.
The country home contains Louise and Ian's confrontation before a burglar further destabilizes the situation.
Ian's younger mistress, Louise's abduction, and the burglar's arrival transform infidelity into blackly comic chaos.
The plot repeatedly makes characters admit their true feelings under increasingly awkward circumstances.
Films like Serious Moonlight, and why
War of the Roses
dark romantic comedy built around marital betrayal, escalating farce, and emotionally conflicted spouses
The One I Love
claustrophobic relationship comedy in which romantic conflict becomes increasingly physical and absurd
Enough Said
bittersweet romantic comedy focused on damaged intimacy, infidelity, and difficult emotional honesty
Movie Details
- Director
- Cheryl Hines
- Release Date
- 2009-12-04
- Runtime
- 84 min
- Rating
- 5.0 / 10 (171)
Cast
- Meg Ryan
- Timothy Hutton
- Justin Long
- Kristen Bell
- Derek Carter
- Bill Parks
- Kimberlee Peterson
- Nathan Dean
- Andy Ostroy
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Serious Moonlight about?
- A desperate wife turns her husband's infidelity and attempted departure into a duct-taped domestic standoff that exposes the messy truths of their marriage.
- What is Serious Moonlight like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Serious Moonlight as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Serious Moonlight violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Serious Moonlight as mild.
- What did critics think of Serious Moonlight?
- Critics largely regarded the film as a shrill, tonally uneven black comedy whose relationship premise and performances were more compelling than its execution.
- Which films are like Serious Moonlight?
- Films with a similar feel include War of the Roses, The One I Love, and Enough Said.
- How long is Serious Moonlight?
- Serious Moonlight runs 84 minutes.
- Where can I watch Serious Moonlight?
- In United States, Serious Moonlight streams on Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel.
