The new film Moon initially caught my interest one soggy afternoon while hounding perusing Matt Berry’s IMDB profile. “Is this it? The long awaited feature follow-up to Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace?” I bubbled as I clicked onwards. No, it’s an indie sci-fi film directed by David Bowie’s son. But I was not disappointed – another sci-fi film is never a bad thing, and it starred Sam Rockwell, one of the best actors of the moment.

Flash forward a year or so and Moon opened in New York and Los Angeles last Friday. I initially wasn’t hopping out of my seat to see it, but yesterday I awoke with a strong desire to go see it.

The film is alright – certainly it had a very small budget, and Matt Berry’s part is literally too small – but it is clearly a labor of love. The sets and effects are all small scale but work to create a realistic and claustrophobic atmosphere. Sam Rockwell is in top form, showcasing his ability to stand on the line of funny and violent, and, without giving too much away, proves he can carry an entire movie acting with only himself.

The story was more functional than I thought (no metaphysical stabs at love and god), and even though I easily guessed what the twist was going to be, I really enjoyed how the film lingered on well after the reveal. All the hallmarks of post-2001-and-Solaris films are there. From the unsettling How-did-another-person-just-appear-in-this-room-oops-they’re-gone to the slower pace and unsettling score (from Clint Mansell, also of The Fountain). And I guess that was my biggest issue with the film – it felt too much like a movie content with being a tribute to the likes of 2001 than trying to be anything of its own.

The same could be said for 2007’s Sunshine, which played out as 2001-meets-Jason X, albeit much better than that sounds. Outside of the realm of the big sci-fi blockbuster franchises (Aliens, Star Wars, Terminators) all of the space-based science fiction films seem to be unable to walk away from 2001. It is funny that as I write this, there is a 2001 poster on my wall, and it is the only film that I own on Blu-Ray. It is an immense and spectacular film that in many ways has created an obstacle for any filmmaker who wants to make serious science fiction.

I will say that while watching this movie my mind did keep traveling back to 2006’s The Fountain. Though I was initially very excited about it, I hated Darren Aronofsky’s film when I saw it, and continue to think that in many ways a failure. Chief among the film’s flaws is Rachel Weisz’s acting – like a generic movie pixie, she blithers about while her glum husband, Hugh Jackman, seeks the key to immortality. But despite my negative reaction, it stuck with me – its visceral imagery and emotion (though ham-fisted) lodged in my mind.

The Fountain is about finding the ability to move on, and as much as I hate to say it, I think we have to move on from 2001. If not, science fiction as a genre will become less about looking forward at what could be than an exercise in looking backward – nodding and winking to styles and ideas that once were.