Far too often, when you say “sci-fi” people automatically either think of Spock-worshipping Trekkie geeks or pew-pew-pew laser guns and space battles.

It’s refreshing therefore to have a film like Moon come along: a film unashamedly sci-fi but like the very best dramas focussing not so much on the fantasy of the future but on the ideas of humanity.

Moon takes place in the near future on a mining station on the dark side of the moon.

Moon rock contains a valuable fuel source which corporations of the future are keen to exploit and Sam (Sam Rockwell) is alone on the base supervising the mining operation, serving out the last days of his three-year contract.

With only a robot called GERTY, a robotic caretaker that looks after the base for company and the direct comm. link to earth being down, he hasn’t had any live communication with another human being during the entire time he’s been there, forcing him to send and receive pre-recorded tapes to his family and employers.

But with just days to go and thoughts of being reunited with his wife fill his mind, he has an accident.

Waking up in sick bay, he comes face to face with himself, a younger fresher version of himself who claims to be there to fulfil the same contract.

Is he hallucinating? Is the comm. link really down or is something more sinister afoot?

Moon raises some interesting philosophical questions: what is the nature of memory? What new ethical dilemmas might we face in the future? What questions would you ask yourself if you could?

But far from being a laborious treatise on these intellectual nuggets, Moon incorporates them seamlessly into a gripping story, serving to propel the action forward rather than bog it down.

The success of the film rests squarely on the shoulders of Sam Rockwell who has a tough job to do.

Frequently being the only human on screen means his acting is really put through its paces.

Thankfully he’s up to the job and his character seems appropriately detached and isolated yet likeable and determined that you’ll be cheering him on from start to finish.

Moon is a fantastic example of a return to classic sci-fi, where special effects and enormous budgets were not necessary for telling a compelling story.

You can shove your Terminator 4s and your Transformers 2s, Moon is infinitely deeper, better acted, more engaging and a must see for any sci-fi fan.

Moon (15) is out in on July 17