I first saw Moonlight when it released in 2016. After I'd entered the theater, the lights dimmed, and the movie reel ran, a gentleman by the name of "Darryl" made himself known. At the 24-minute mark, he spoke to his date in a loud whisper: "Now, hold on. Woman, you said this wasn't no gay movie." The audience laughed it off, then we watched. At the 43-minute mark, he spoke again: "Marlene, c'mon now!" We took note, laughed less, and continued to watch. Around minute 55, Darryl had seen enough: "Oh, HELL naw! I'm gone." He stormed out. And I watched him leave, presumably because he was uncomfortable. What Darryl didn't value in that moment was what ended up being my biggest, personal takeaway from my viewing experience: true growth and massive opportunity manifest only in the most uncomfortable environments.

In this tripartite feature, we follow a young man simply experiencing life. In stage one, we meet young Little (Alex Hibbert), who gravitates away from his drug-addicted mother Paula (Thandie Newton) to a surprisingly caring father-figure and his wife, Juan (Mahershala Ali) and Teresa (Janelle Monáe). While developing a budding "friendship" with childhood pal Kevin (Jaden Piner), Little starts to realize that he is not like his friends. As he matures into Chiron (Ashton Sanders) in stage two, he maintains a bond with his mother, his new parents, and Kevin (Jharrel Jerome). These bonds open the door for his true self to be revealed, amidst turbulent life events and struggles. In stage three, we see Black (Trevante Rhodes) command a powerful figure of a man who, even at his strongest and most intimidating stage, experiences a most intimate encounter that leaves us with nothing but over-tugged heartstrings.

Point blank: I loved this movie.

Here's three reasons why you should watch Moonlight:

1. Moonlight Is About More Than Being Gay

Okay, the jig is up, Darryl: yes, this movie's main character is, indeed, a homosexual. We follow one man's journey from chidlhood to adulthood, watching him accept the fact that he is gay. However, calling this film "a gay movie" is wildly crude, a short sale and foundationally/ancillarily inaccurate. Moonlight is a movie that covers a slew of relatable and understandable concepts in our everyday lives. Concepts like:

  • Bullying Sucks: When Chiron gets to high school, we see him get attacked by ruthless peers. He even has a scuffle with a familiar individual. Many of us have gone through the sh*tty feeling of being deemed lesser than by a person or a select group. This film allows us to see that experience through the eyes of a special character and, without giving away too much, rewards us for hanging in there with Chiron. Quite viciously, we get a raw look at the experience and effects of being bullied (clearly an experience not only reserved for homosexuals).
  • Kids Are Intelligent as Hell: Little was maybe, I don't know, 5 or 6 in the movie, when he asked Juan, "What's a faggot?" He then asked, "Am I a faggot?" This moment was crucial because in asking both questions, Little already knew the answers (or so he thought). In asking these questions, he did many things: tested Juan's character, attacked his own insecurities, and boasted his lexicon and ability to put clues together. He even looked for context and subtleties in Juan's response. The boy was wise, but played like he wasn't. But that had nothing to do with his sexual orientation.
  • Adversity Opens Eyes: Images of poverty-stricken neighborhoods, drug use, manipulation, grief, physical pain and trauma can all be found in the life of our Moonlight star(s). Through each of these instances, we see the main character amazingly become stronger and better for them all. He slowly begins to internalize those hardships and uses them to transform himself into a hardened individual who, at his core, is as soft, yearnful and needy as us all. He reminds us that growing up can be tough, but as we go through struggles, we learn new things that enable us to be better with each step - gay or not.
  • Masculinity Is Not Finite: As children, we learned what many might call "appropriate" gender roles that align with what society expects a man to be. "Strong", "rugged", "in control" - that's what many expect a "real" man to be. However, "queer", "emotional", "reliant" - these things get denied. Moonlight challenges those concepts, from the start of the film to its wonderful end, where we see Black in a position of vulnerability that is foreign to many, to say the least.
  • More concepts from the film: the difficulty of being a parent, the perils of drug use, capitalism's effects, the importance of patience and opportunity, etc.

Moonlight is no one-trick pony.

2. The Film is Monumental for (the Cinematic Feats of) Black People

Having explained point one, don't be confused: the fact that this story revolves around Little/Chiron/Black is crucial. Moonlight is a movie written by Tarell Alvin McCraney (who's Black). It was directed by Barry Jenkins (who's Black). It features a slate of highly talented actors and actresses (who, if you paid attention, were all Black). It went on to win the Golden Globe for Best Drama. It won the Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay; this made it the first LGBTQ film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In short: when it comes to the words "Black" and "cinema", Moonlight is a historical feat for our people. It's all about representation. It's about giving all Black people a shining example of what is possible, in this world and in ourselves, when we work to accept and embrace who we are and give ourselves/our visions to this world unapologetically and authentically to the best of our ability. At no time do we ever have to be perfect to get to where we want to be. We must be willing to feel, share, collaborate, and learn in our dealings in order to become a more transcendent people.

3. It Goes 7/7

I remember reading an article a while ago. It said "there's seven essentials to consider when you look at a movie and decide whether or not it's 'good': directing, writing, acting, cinematography, editing, aesthetics and sound." Here's what I say to that:

  1. Directing: Moonlight won an Oscar for Best Director.
  2. Writing: Moonlight won an Oscar for Best Screenplay.
  3. Acting: Considering the movie did not star any "household names", for this cast to symphonically brought together in this multi-act narrative in such a beautiful fashion, you can't help but be impressed. Alongside Jenkins' brilliant directing, each of these actors immersed themselves into the delicacy of each character and brought them to life. One of my favorite tidbits related to this film is that the three actors who portray the main character never met during production. However, they each played their part in a seamless fashion, displaying the continuum that was the lead character.
  4. Cinematography: The movie feels invadingly and contrastingly personal. It is cold, yet warm. It's harsh, yet gentle. What James Laxton (the lead cinematographer) was able to do (with quite the small budget of $1.5M) was bring to life an emotionally driven, colorful contrast that visually tied itself to the gripping narrative that overtakes you from scene one. Its tension holds you, but not like a prisoner. It's sort of a strong bear hug of a visual experience.
  5. Editing: I said above that the three actors who portray the main character never met. The reason they still feel so interconnected? Outstanding editing. Barry Jenkins' film is structured a bit oddly, with halting starts and stops. Still, the individuals who pieced this film together did so diligently and with great tact to create a tight assembly of scenes.
  6. Aesthetics: From the motif-like usage of water to the gold grill Black wears to the projects-style apartment buildings to everything in between, this movie finds ways to make something out of (what seems like) nothing. The simplest concepts/features become focuses in this movie that serve as complements to the wonderful acting and striking cinematography, as professional aesthetics work should. Let me also say: the poster for this movie is simple, yet effective.
  7. Sound: Salute Nicholas Britell, man. And everyone else who contributed to this film's sonic side. The first thing you hear when this movie starts is waves crashing and then..."Every n*gga is a staaaaaar", most popularly sampled by Kendrick Lamar, but originally recorded by Boris Gardner. That one line helps sum up what I said above about being yourself, letting that star inside of you shine brightly. To stay on topic though - the sounds in this film are *chef's kiss*. What's most interesting is that the sound designers were tactical in their use of emptiness and space to ensure that the sounds themselves were distinct and never muddled behind overdone dialogue or clashes. It is treated with respect and seriousness.

Bonus: This movie was produced by...you guessed it: A24! And ya'll know how I feel about A-twenny-fo' (production-wise)!

Here's why you shouldn't watch Moonlight:

1. Overrated At Times/In Ways

Trust me, this is a reach. However, in good faith, I must stretch myself to be critical, even of those things that seem near-perfect. Moonlight is kind of a romance movie. Considering this, of course you have some clichés and predictability with beats/scenes in this film. That does somewhat take away from its novelty.

On top of that, I'll be honest: Mahershala Ali won his Oscar on a down year for Best Supporting Actor. I mean the year prior, you had Christian Bale/Tom Hardy/Mark Ruffalo/Sylvester Stallone vying (none of which won). Year before that, J.K. Simmons/Mark Ruffalo/Ethan Hawke/Robert Duvall/Edward Norton went at it. And Ali better be glad Moonlight didn't drop around 2012 because Cristoph Waltz/Robert De Niro/Philip Seymour Hoffman/Tommy Lee Jones? Fuhgettaboutit. He might've lucked out.

In 24 years, I have seen over 700 movies, easily. Moonlight is, to this day, one of my favorite movies (arguably top 20). It does so many things right in my eyes that there is no way it can't be. On top of that, it is so original in its narrative and execution that one can't help but feel entranced by its performance.

I highly recommend seeing Moonlight. Very few won't (maybe like one or two people, including Darryl). Either way, I Scene That.