The Insatiable Moon

The Insatiable Moon follows the life of Arthur, an apparently mentally unstable man who thinks he is the second son of God, and the bunch of ragamuffins he lives with in the boarding house run by the foul mouthed but loving Bob.

This group of societal misfits, many patients from mental institution closed by the government have found a place of acceptance in the heart of Ponsonby. Dark forces however are gathering, namely in the form of a real estate agent who wants to get his hands on the run down boarding house.

Throw in the plight of the timid community worker Margaret who’s infertility and empty marriage push her towards the edge of sanity, and you have the right mix for an emotionally charged story about faith, love and what it means to be a community.

Based on the book of the same name, written by ex-Baptist Pastor Mike Riddell, The Insatiable Moon is riddled with four letter words and a surprisingly refreshing gospel message. Don’t be sacred however, as this is no gospel film, rather a scathing attack on the policies and societal attitudes towards societies fringe dwellers and specifically the mentally ill. 

Being a Kiwi film, it does suffer occasionally from not having the spit and polish of a Hollywood production, but the passionate storytelling and compelling characters more than make up for anything that may be lacking and you’ll soon find yourself lost to the charms of this insatiable moon.

FILMGUIDE rating:

Reviewed by: Jonathan