A surreal odyssey through a war-torn wonderland haunted by unicorns, allegory, and gendered apocalypse.
BLACK MOON
An apocalyptic Alice in Wonderland!
There is a war in the world between the men and the women. A young girl tries to escape this reality and comes to a hidden place where a strange unicorn lives with a family: Sister, Brother, many children and an old woman that never leaves her bed but stays in contact with the world through her radio. Since the content of this picture is not as important as the pictures and allegories, the simple plot can not be described further.
Quick Answer
Black Moon is a 1975 France-Germany fantasy, horror, mystery, and science fiction film directed by Louis Malle about a young woman seeking refuge during a brutal gender-based civil war, only to find herself in a surreal rural world of allegories and strange inhabitants.
Programmer's Pick
Louis Malle’s Black Moon isn’t content to just be strange—it luxuriates in its own surrealism, offering talking flowers, allegorical unicorns, and a civil war where gender is the only side. If you like your fantasy with a dash of existential dread and a serving of visual poetry, this one’s for your midnight watchlist.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Details & Specs
- Director
- Louis Malle
- Writers
- Louis Malle, Joyce Buñuel
- Release
- 1975
- Runtime
- 1h 41m
- Country
- Germany, France
- Language
- English, French
- Genres
- Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction
- Also Known As
- Lua Negra, El unicornio, Musta kuu, Fekete Hold, Luna nera, Czarny ksiezyc, O Unicórnio, Svart måne
Why This Matters
Louis Malle's experimental fantasy horror blends French and English dialogue and was showcased at the 1975 New York Film Festival, with North American distribution by 20th Century Fox. The film is dedicated to cast member Therese Giehse, who died shortly after filming.
Cast & Crew
View all →Why Cult
The film’s world is ripped apart by a war between men and women, setting the stage for allegorical mayhem.
Crying flowers, self-hanged shepherds, and a brown unicorn populate a landscape where the rules of reality are on permanent holiday.
A mysterious unicorn haunts the film’s hidden world, layering the narrative with enigmatic symbolism.
Black Moon trades conventional storytelling for a sequence of dreamlike, symbolic encounters where meaning is up for interpretation.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Escalation of gender-based civil war
Systematic executions and violence between men and women
Forces Lily to flee and encounter surreal dangers
Fever-dream countryside and hidden chateau
Questions from the Vault
When was Black Moon released? +
Black Moon was released in 1975.
Who directed Black Moon? +
Black Moon was directed by Louis Malle.
How long is Black Moon? +
Black Moon has a runtime of 101 minutes.
What genre is Black Moon? +
Black Moon is a fantasy, horror, mystery, and science fiction film.
Where can I watch Black Moon? +
You can watch Black Moon on SassyFlix.