Moon
Sam Bell has a three year contract to work for Lunar Industries. For the contract's entire duration, he is the sole employee based at their lunar station. His primary job responsibility is to harvest and periodically rocket back to Earth supplies of helium-3, the current clean and abundant fuel used on Earth. There is no direct communication link available between the lunar station and Earth, so his only direct real-time interaction is with GERTY, the intelligent computer whose function is to attend to his day to day needs. With such little human contact and all of it indirect, he feels that three years is far too long to be so isolated; he knows he is beginning to hallucinate as the end of his three years approaches. All he wants is to return to Earth to be with his wife Tess and their infant daughter Eve, who was born just prior to his leaving for this job. With two weeks to go, he gets into an accident at one of the mechanical harvesters and is rendered unconscious. Injured, he awakens back at the station in the infirmary, he assumes assisted by GERTY. GERTY tells him that a rescue team named Eliza will come to the station to clean up the aftermath of the accident. After his recuperation, he takes an unauthorized trip back to the broken harvester, where he makes an unexpected discovery. Because of his find, he begins to doubt his sanity, then his true identity, then the company and GERTY's willingness to do what is best for him. Because of his resulting beliefs, his sole mission becomes how to get back to Earth on his own.
Working with a modest budget of $5.0M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $9.8M in global revenue (+95% profit margin).
1 BAFTA Award28 wins & 37 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Moon (2009) showcases strategically placed dramatic framework, characteristic of Duncan Jones's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 37 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Sam Bell
GERTY
Main Cast & Characters
Sam Bell
Played by Sam Rockwell
A lunar miner nearing the end of his three-year solo contract on the moon, experiencing disturbing visions and a life-altering discovery.
GERTY
Played by Kevin Spacey
An AI assistant robot managing the moon base, appearing helpful but bound by corporate programming.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Sam Bell works alone on the moon, mining Helium-3 for Lunar Industries. He's isolated, lonely, counting down his final two weeks before returning to Earth and his family.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Sam crashes his rover while experiencing a vivid hallucination during a routine harvester repair, leaving him unconscious at the mining site.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Sam tricks GERTY and ventures outside to the crashed rover, where he discovers another Sam Bell - himself - injured and unconscious. He brings the other Sam back to the base., moving from reaction to action.
At 49 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat The Sams discover the underground storage room filled with hundreds of clone bodies in hibernation, confirming they are disposable corporate assets. The full horror of their existence is revealed., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 72 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The original Sam (from the crash) is dying, coughing blood, accepting his fate. The "whiff of death" is literal - he will not survive, and his sacrifice becomes necessary for the other's escape., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 77 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The older Sam helps the newer Sam escape by hiding him in a Helium-3 transport pod. GERTY, showing unexpected humanity, assists them. The dying Sam will sacrifice himself by staging everything to look normal., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Moon's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Moon against these established plot points, we can identify how Duncan Jones utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Moon within the drama genre.
Duncan Jones's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Duncan Jones films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Moon represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Duncan Jones filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include After Thomas, South Pacific and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. For more Duncan Jones analyses, see Source Code, Warcraft.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Sam Bell works alone on the moon, mining Helium-3 for Lunar Industries. He's isolated, lonely, counting down his final two weeks before returning to Earth and his family.
Theme
GERTY the AI says "I'm here to keep you safe, Sam" - establishing the question of what it means to be human versus programmed, and whether corporate entities truly care for individuals.
Worldbuilding
Establishing Sam's lonely routine on the moon base: maintenance work, conversations with GERTY, deteriorating health, communication delays with Earth, hallucinations of a mysterious woman, and his growing instability.
Disruption
Sam crashes his rover while experiencing a vivid hallucination during a routine harvester repair, leaving him unconscious at the mining site.
Resistance
Sam wakes up in the infirmary with no memory of the accident. GERTY claims he was never outside. Sam grows suspicious of gaps in his memory and GERTY's evasiveness about the crash site.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Sam tricks GERTY and ventures outside to the crashed rover, where he discovers another Sam Bell - himself - injured and unconscious. He brings the other Sam back to the base.
Mirror World
The two Sams interact, initially hostile and confused. The "other Sam" represents both what Sam was and what he's becoming - they are each other's only human connection, forcing confrontation with identity.
Premise
The two Sams investigate their situation, discovering the truth: they are clones with implanted memories, used for three-year contracts and disposed of. They explore the base's secrets and their existential crisis together.
Midpoint
The Sams discover the underground storage room filled with hundreds of clone bodies in hibernation, confirming they are disposable corporate assets. The full horror of their existence is revealed.
Opposition
The older Sam deteriorates rapidly while the newer Sam grows stronger. They debate what to do: the rescue team is coming to "clean up." Tensions rise between the Sams as they face their mortality and corporate betrayal.
Collapse
The original Sam (from the crash) is dying, coughing blood, accepting his fate. The "whiff of death" is literal - he will not survive, and his sacrifice becomes necessary for the other's escape.
Crisis
The dying Sam and newer Sam share their final moments together. They formulate a plan: one will escape to Earth to expose Lunar Industries, while the other will die peacefully, ensuring the corporation believes nothing is wrong.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The older Sam helps the newer Sam escape by hiding him in a Helium-3 transport pod. GERTY, showing unexpected humanity, assists them. The dying Sam will sacrifice himself by staging everything to look normal.
Synthesis
The newer Sam escapes in the pod toward Earth. The older Sam returns to the crashed rover to die where he was "supposed to," preserving the cover story. Radio transmissions reveal Sam's testimony is reaching Earth, exposing Lunar Industries.
Transformation
The escaped Sam approaches Earth, hearing news reports about Lunar Industries' illegal cloning program. Though still a clone, he has achieved individuality, humanity, and purpose - becoming truly alive through his choice to expose the truth.