Cold Moon is a 2016 American horror film directed by Griff Furst and written by Furst and Jack Snyder, based on Michael McDowell’s 1980 novel Cold Moon Over Babylon. It stars Josh Stewart, Candy Clark, Frank Whaley, Robbie Kay and Christopher Lloyd. The film screened at FrightFest Halloween in London in October 2016 and was released in the United States by Uncork'd Entertainment on October 6, 2017.
Plot In Babylon, Florida, teenager Margaret Larkin disappears while returning home to the blueberry farm where she lives with her grandmother, Evelyn, and her brother, Jerry. Her body is later recovered from the river, tied to her bicycle, and an examination reveals that she was pregnant. Evelyn accuses local banker Nathan Redfield of killing Margaret, although Sheriff Ted Hale initially has insufficient evidence to investigate him.
Nathan is then revealed to have killed Margaret after learning that she was pregnant with his child. He is also involved in a proposed property deal concerning the Larkin farm. When Evelyn and Jerry seek legal assistance and continue accusing him, Nathan persuades his younger brother Ben to help him intercept them. Nathan kills Evelyn and Jerry with a sword, sinks their car in the river and plants the weapon in the car of school principal Warren Perry. He then encourages Sheriff Hale to suspect Perry, who is arrested.
Nathan begins seeing apparitions of Margaret, Evelyn and Jerry, while his increasingly erratic behavior causes others to question his involvement in the deaths. Sheriff Hale learns that Nathan had been representing the Larkins in negotiations concerning their property, while the graves of the three Larkins are found disturbed and their bodies missing. Nathan decides to leave town with Ben, but his father James threatens to disinherit him. Nathan then prepares a forged suicide note as part of the plan to kill James.
As Nathan's hallucinations intensify, he mistakes Belinda Hale for one of the apparitions and attacks her, as well as later mistaking Ben for Jerry and killing him. Pursued by the apparitions of the Larkins, Nathan flees by car and drives from a bridge into the river. His body is recovered from the vehicle the following morning, together with the missing bodies of Margaret, Evelyn and Jerry. Nathan is found to be missing an ear, which is discovered in Margaret's hand. Belinda survives her injuries, and Perry is released from custody.
Cast Josh Stewart as Nathan Redfield Sara Catherine Bellamy as Margaret Larkin Candy Clark as Evelyn Larkin Frank Whaley as Sheriff Ted Hale Rachele Brooke Smith as Belinda Hale Robbie Kay as Ben Redfield Christopher Lloyd as James Redfield Madison Wolfe as Mandy Chester Rushing as Jerry Larkin Marcus Lyle Brown as Walter Perry Joe Chrest as Charles Darrish Laura Cayouette as Ginny Darrish Tommy Wiseau as Rodeo Official
Production Production on Cold Moon was announced in February 2015, with Josh Stewart and Christopher Lloyd joining the cast. Griff Furst directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jack Snyder, based on Michael McDowell’s 1980 novel Cold Moon Over Babylon. Filming was scheduled to begin in Louisiana later that month.
Release Cold Moon was shown in competition at the Nocturna Madrid International Fantastic Film Festival in May 2016. It was subsequently selected for FilmQuest in Utah in June 2016 and screened at FrightFest Halloween at the Prince Charles Cinema in London on October 22. Uncork'd Entertainment gave the film a limited theatrical release in the United States on October 6, 2017.
Reception On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 73% based on , with an average rating of 5.9/10. Anton Bitel of Sight and Sound described the film as Southern Gothic and praised its use of an intentionally old-fashioned setting and style, while noting that it did not substantially depart from established genre conventions. Adam Keller of Film Threat gave the film 5 out of 10, praising its special effects, atmosphere and Josh Stewart's performance, but criticizing its pacing and character development in the first half.
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