Movie Poster

Ok. Let your head rest in my hand. Relax. I got you. I promise. I won't let you go. Hey man. I got you. There you go. Ten Seconds. Right there. You in the middle of the world.

# Review

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I watched this coming-of-age film. I expected the film to focus on the socio-economic conditions that many Black men grow up in, but the film is so much more. It follows the story of Chiron throughout his life, from his childhood (Alex R. Hibbert), to his adolescence (Ashton Sanders), to his adulthood (Trevante Rhodes).

The character of Juan played by Mahershala Ali is perhaps one of my favourite characters in recent cinema history because he is so incredibly human. On one hand, Juan does some questionable things for a living, yet he shows great kindness and care for Chiron. Other than Ali, all of the Chiron actors are amazing, in particular Rhodes and Sanders, who despite being child actors, gave really solid performances. The supporting cast is really solid too, especially Naomie Harris, who plays Chiron’s abusive drug-addicted mother and Jharrel Jerome and André Holland, who play Chiron’s friend Kevin from childhood and adulthood, respectively.

The cinematography is intimate and raw, with many shots of up-close scenes and shots of characters looking directly at the camera. The soundtrack goes particularly well with the film and the dialogue is very thoughtful. The film explores so many interesting themes, such as parenthood, crime, and sexuality. My favourite theme being explored is perhaps the idea of masculinity. The film explores many facets of masculinity, such as homosexuality, violence, and peer acceptance. There are instances of good masculine behaviour, such as Juan taking in Chiron under his wing. There are also instances of extremely toxic masculine behaviour, such as the children and adolescents being socialized through violence. Overall, I felt the exploration of masculinity within Moonlight rivals that of Scorsese’s Taxi Driver.

The film is not without faults, though. The story is amazing in the first and second acts, but for me, the third act felt underwhelming compared to the first two. I expected a cathartic ending but it was just flat.

# Conclusion

A very nuanced exploration of masculinity, especially within the Black community.

# Overall rating: 8.3

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