Moonlight

Moonlight is a 2016 American coming-of-age drama written and directed by Barry Jenkins, adapted from Tarell Alvin McCraney’s unproduced semi-autobiographical play, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. The film follows Chiron, a Black boy growing up in Miami, across three chapters titled “Little,” “Chiron,” and “Black.” Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes portray Chiron at childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, respectively.

In the first section, nine-year-old Chiron, nicknamed Little, flees bullies and encounters Juan, a Cuban-American drug dealer played by Mahershala Ali. Juan and his girlfriend Teresa, played by Janelle Monáe, offer the withdrawn child food, shelter, and a measure of care. Juan also answers Little’s question about a homophobic slur and tells him that he can decide for himself who he wants to be. Chiron’s mother, Paula, played by Naomie Harris, struggles with crack addiction and increasingly neglects him.

The middle chapter centers on teenage Chiron, who is bullied at school and forms an intimate connection with Kevin, played then by Jharrel Jerome. On a beach, Kevin kisses Chiron and they share a sexual encounter. The next day, a bully pressures Kevin into beating Chiron in front of other students. Chiron later retaliates by striking the bully with a chair and is taken away by police.

As an adult, Chiron calls himself Black and works as a drug dealer in Atlanta, echoing aspects of Juan’s life. Rhodes plays this version opposite André Holland as the adult Kevin, who works at a Miami diner and has a young son. Kevin telephones Chiron after hearing “Hello Stranger” on the radio, prompting Chiron to return to Miami. Their reunion includes a meal at Kevin’s workplace and a tentative conversation about their past. The final image shows Chiron as a child standing on a beach, turning toward the camera.

Moonlight premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2016 and was released theatrically in the United States by A24. At the 89th Academy Awards, it won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay for Jenkins and McCraney, and Best Supporting Actor for Ali. Its Best Picture announcement came after Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty initially named La La Land because they had been given the wrong envelope. Jenkins and the producers then accepted the award. The film received eight Academy Award nominations in total.

James Laxton served as cinematographer, Nicholas Britell composed the score, and Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders edited the film together closely.