Moonlight
Across three stages of life, a withdrawn Miami boy struggles to claim tenderness, identity, and self-worth amid addiction, bullying, and enforced masculinity.
Overview
A poignant exploration of identity and resilience against the backdrop of a troubled childhood.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- intimate
- tender
- quiet evening
- reflective movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a brilliantly crafted, compassionate, and visually fluid portrait of a life and identity rarely centered in cinema.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Chiron adopts the hardened persona of Black while retaining the vulnerability established in childhood and adolescence.
The film presents Chiron as Little, a teenager, and an adult, with each section revealing a different social persona.
Teresa’s home provides Chiron with food, care, and calm away from Paula’s addiction and neighborhood bullying.
James Laxton’s fluid, seductive cinematography closely accompanies Chiron’s isolation, encounters, and moments of connection.
Films like Moonlight, and why
Pariah
shared intimate coming-of-age drama, queer identity, and emotionally restrained visual storytelling
The Way He Looks
shared queer self-discovery, social marginalization, and lyrical character-centered drama
Boyhood
shared fragmented coming-of-age structure, male vulnerability, and compassionate examination of difficult family circumstances
Brother to Brother
shared black queer identity, romantic longing, and understated emotional intensity
Movie Details
- Director
- Barry Jenkins
- Release Date
- 2016-10-21
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (7705)
Cast
- Trevante Rhodes
- André Holland
- Janelle Monáe
- Ashton Sanders
- Jharrel Jerome
- Alex R. Hibbert
- Jaden Piner
- Naomie Harris
- Mahershala Ali
- Shariff Earp
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Moonlight about?
- Across three stages of life, a withdrawn Miami boy struggles to claim tenderness, identity, and self-worth amid addiction, bullying, and enforced masculinity.
- What is Moonlight like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Moonlight as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Moonlight violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Moonlight as moderate.
- What did critics think of Moonlight?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a brilliantly crafted, compassionate, and visually fluid portrait of a life and identity rarely centered in cinema.
- Which films are like Moonlight?
- Films with a similar feel include Pariah, The Way He Looks, Boyhood, and Brother to Brother.
- How long is Moonlight?
- Moonlight runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch Moonlight?
- In United States, Moonlight streams on Hulu.
