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Moonlight (2016)



Moonlight (2016)



7/10



Starring
Trevante Rhodes
André Holland
Janelle Monáe
Mahershala Ali


Directed by Barry Jenkins


Moonlight is a drama that grows on you as you watch. The movie is deeper than deep—if such a phrase exists—and it delivers groundbreaking performances that will leave you on the edge of your seat as you see the characters develop and grow before your eyes. Now the movie takes it’s time to get into the plot, but when it does it is a captivating drama.

This is a movie that caused quite a stir at the Oscars, earning eight nominations and taking home three awards. Two of those were for Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali) and Best Adapted Screenplay. When it came time for Best Picture, the announcers made a mistake and initially called La La Land (2016) as the winner. However, the award was supposed to go to Moonlight. On stage, the La La Land crew graciously announced the error, and the award was handed over to Moonlight.

There’s been talk that the mistake might steal some of the movie’s shine, and in a way, it did. But regardless, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture was the reason I decided to watch this movie. Moonlight is the first all-black cast and the first LGBTQ+ film to win Best Picture, and the question I had before seeing it was: Was it worth it?

To answer that, I have to say yes.

Beyond the Academy Award, Mahershala Ali also won the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the movie took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama.

The movie explores the life of a young boy as he grows up, discovering himself and his sexuality. It delves into his struggles to come to terms with who he is while dealing with a mother who abuses drugs.

As he grows, he faces bullying, betrayal, and a lack of the love he needs to feel welcome in the world.


The movie begins with the introduction of the lead, Chiron, as a child. We see him being bullied by other kids, running and hiding in an abandoned home. He’s rescued by a man named Juan (Mahershala Ali), who takes Chiron under his wing. Chiron’s mother, however, is disgusted by the relationship between Chiron and Juan.

As Chiron grows into a teenager, he continues to struggle with expressing himself and is bullied by his peers. One day, the bullies pressure his friend Kevin to fight him. After the fight, Chiron reacts violently, leading to his arrest.

The movie is awesome and absolutely worth seeing.

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