‘Moon Knight’ weaves together mystery and Egyptian mythology
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Strange things are afoot in the life of Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac).
Every morning, Steven awakens to find himself chained to his bed and locked down inside his own apartment. He seems to be unable to remember doing things like taking a trip to the pet store or asking out his pretty museum coworker. Sometimes, he even wakes up in places not knowing where he is or how he got there.
That’s not all. Steven keeps hearing great, booming voices, and some long-haired weirdo named Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) keeps chasing him. And the only people he really has to talk to are a living statue, his mom’s voicemail and his goldfish, Gus.
The first episode of the latest addition to the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe focuses on Steven’s everyday travails and how completely unprepared he is to handle all the extra problems that get thrown his way. How’s a guy supposed to handle being pursued by people who may harm him and unravel the cause of his mental instability when he can’t even handle getting to work on time?
The focus on Steven’s character and his sheer bewilderment at what’s happening to him are what make “Moon Knight” work. It also gives Isaac a chance to shine in his role. Steven has to be crazy, yet vulnerable and empathetic and Isaac strikes just the right balance.
Having Hawke as Steven’s antagonist also helps. Harrow is calm to the point of creepiness but he also has a big self-righteous streak. Harrow embodies the idea that evil people always think they know what’s best for everybody else and the more firmly they believe in their own morality, the eviler they are.
The focus on the characters and the mysterious way the story unfolds make “Moon Knight” a good watch, but having Egyptian mythology figure in heavily also adds some additional kick to this superhero cocktail. Ancient Egyptian culture is fascinating, and the gods make for some very cool and scary imagery.
One last thing that needs to be mentioned is the editing, which is always bouncing us between scenarios, allowing us to experience Steven’s confusion as he tries to piece together what’s happening to him. In this way, “Moon Knight” invites you to participate in solving the puzzles alongside Steven. It hooks you and draws you in, exploiting your need to know what’s going on.
“Moon Knight” opens in a way that leaves you stoked to see the next episode. It’s got a great lead performance from Oscar Isaac and keeps you guessing. Throw in a cool chase scene and a few moments the pluck at her heartstrings, and the first episode of “Moon Knight” has about everything you could want from the opening salvo of a superhero TV series.
”Moon Knight” is currently streaming on Disney+ with new episodes dropping every Wednesday through May 4.