“At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you’re going to be. Can’t let nobody make that decision for you,” Mahershala Ali as Juan.

Moonlight was a 2016 feature film directed by Barry Jenkins. Moonlight has won 152 awards and has been nominated for eight Academy Awards. So how come no one has heard of it? Moonlight is raw and risky. Its plot shows three time periods of a man named Chiron’s life, each one devastatingly impactful and inspiring. It is raw because it shows the grittiness of addiction and discrimination. Chiron grows up in a drug-ridden neighborhood in Miami, and is only shown love when his mother is high on cocaine or when he finds it in unordinary places of others. It is risky because it depicts a queer minority relationship and the consequences of influence in the African American community.

I thought Moonlight was beautiful. The cinematography alone can be admired. With each brilliant shot, I grew more in awe of the film’s artistic point. I loved the emotional connections between the characters, and the casting was amazing. The film ran under the radar of the mainstream media because most people could not be drawn in by the plot alone. I have read countless other reviews for Moonlight and every single one has called it one of the best movies of the year. I agree. Your heart races and breaks along with Chiron’s, a thrill of a movie that can not be classified as a thriller. This drama is worth checking out if only for revealing the look inside the life of an everchanging black man. The ending leaves you pondering and filled with many emotions. The film is sure to stick with you for awhile after you see it. I give it 10/10.

Clara Petri

A&E Writer