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The Moment

The Moment

Seeing is believing.

201390 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Director
Jane Weinstock
Starring
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Martin Henderson, Alia Shawkat, Marianne Jean-Baptiste

Fearing she may be responsible, a mental patient (Jennifer Jason Leigh) tries to unravel the mystery behind her ex-lover's (Martin Henderson) disappearance.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Moment?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Moment streaming on The Roku Channel (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Moment?

The Moment earns 2 badges, led by Thought-provoking and Nonlinear.

Reception

Is The Moment worth watching?

The Moment's Midcredits score is the 8th percentile of all films, from 662 ratings across 4 sources. 23% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

8th percentile

Better received than 8% of films

10th percentile among Adventure9th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)8th
Approval (how many liked it)12th

44 /100

8th percentile of all films

9th percentile among Adventure10th percentile among 2010s

Critics 22 · Audience 48

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

Approval

How many liked it

23% liked it

12th percentile of all films

15th percentile among Adventure12th percentile among 2010s
23% rated it 7–1077% rated it 1–6

Critics 11% · Audience 13%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Reach

How many have seen it

41st percentile

654 ratings across platforms

30th percentile among Adventure44th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 30% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A psychological drama with a fragmented timeline and a central performance by Jennifer Jason Leigh that demands close attention.

Fans praised

  • Jennifer Jason Leigh's committed performance as a fractured woman
  • ambitious non-linear structure rewards attentive viewing
  • emotional core about mother-daughter reconciliation

Detractors panned

  • confusing time-jumps and repetitive flashbacks become wearying
  • unnecessary gimmick of one actor playing two roles
  • unsatisfying resolution fails to deliver payoff

What stands out

Acting65

Leigh praised by both camps; supporting cast solid but not standout

CharactersDivisive40

daughter's behavior criticized as illogical; psychological depth hit or miss

OriginalityDivisive40

ambitious non-linear structure but derivative of psychological thrillers

Emotional impactDivisive40

mother-daughter theme resonates for some but feels slight

TensionDivisive30

fails to sustain suspense; muddled mystery wearies

PacingDivisive25

repetitive flashbacks and slow stretches drag the film

Plot and storyDivisive20

convoluted structure with repetitive flashbacks that weary

Ending15

unsatisfying and thudding resolution

Watch experience

What is The Moment like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Mind-bender: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a puzzle and can give it your full attention.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Mind-bender.

Moods
TenseMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: middle
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
The answer rests on this: Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film treats its protagonist's psychological disintegration with gravity and earnestness, avoiding irony.
The rideThe central stretch in the psychiatric hospital and the repeated flashbacks build sustained tension and melancholy, while the film's shifting timeline creates moderate emotional volatility.
StructureThe story unfolds through fragmented flashbacks and repeated scenes, requiring the viewer to piece together chronology.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's unresolved mysteries and psychological ambiguity linger, leaving the viewer to question what was real.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA psychological mystery driven by fragmented memory and a missing person case; the narrative resists easy classification.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsMemory · 3% of filmsGuilt · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeLee's sense of self is shattered by trauma and uncertain memories; the film interrogates who she is when her own recollections cannot be trusted.
StanceThe film questions Lee's identity and the reliability of her memory without offering a definitive answer, keeping the stakes personal and psychological rather than societal.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Nathan Larson
SettingNew York City, a psychiatric clinic, and the apartment of a missing lover
MusicLarson's score likely underscores the psychological disorientation with moody, atmospheric textures.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Moment?

Cast

Jennifer Jason Leigh
as Lee
Martin Henderson
as John
Alia Shawkat
as Jessie
Marianne Jean-Baptiste
as Dr. Bloom
Meat Loaf
as Sergeant Goodman
Navid Negahban
as Malik Jamil
Anna Diop
as Hawa
Xavier Jimenez-March
as Thomas
Alexander Fazel
as Real Peter
Alessandra Torresani
as Emma

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Moment?

Movies like The Moment include Dead Again (1991), Bottom of the World (2017) and The Jacket (2005). Of the 6 closest matches, all are psychological thrillers, and two are films set inside an institution.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 6 share its story type: enigma. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Moment?

2.4K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: soulmates separated. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.