Moonlight

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1:55

Moonlight

R

2016

1h 51m

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

402 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

A look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to manhood is guided by the kindness, support and love of the community that helps raise him.

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Critics Consensus

Moonlight uses one man's story to offer a remarkable and brilliantly crafted look at lives too rarely seen in cinema.

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Andrea Thompson

Chicago Reader

Jenkins portrays a world so often fetishized and reduced to its most violent outcomes from the inside, with tenderness and Wong Kar-wai’s influence on his cinematic sleeve.

Jun 21, 2023

Full Review

Nijla Mu'min

Bitch Media

Moonlight displays the kind of empathy and humanity that we desperately need right now.

Feb 17, 2021

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Elena Lazic

Little White Lies

Jenkins' authorial voice is resounding and strong and his determination admirable.

Mar 21, 2018

Full Review

Joe Lipsett

The Queer Gaze (Podcast)

Jenkins' gorgeous adaptation presents a triptych dedicated to a specific queer, Black experience that is undeniably universal.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 24, 2025

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

The film uncannily rises above the wrongful stereotypes associated with sexual orientation and urban settings to assuage its dangers with an uncommon and persistent pulse towards messages of acceptance, healing, and heart.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 20, 2025

Full Review

JD Duran

InSession Film

Jenkins doesn’t rely on pity to make Moonlight dramatically engaging. Instead, he pours out an aura of compassion that naturally renders this film poignant. On top of that, the cinematography and lighting is exhilarating in this film.

Aug 8, 2024

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Lucas H

this was an interesting experience, the movie was good and very sad sometimes, I expected something different but it was good never the less, the ending is very abrupt tho

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/19/21

Full Review

EE D

Super well done movie! Jenkins manages to let us live through the struggles of a young black boy who's growing up and the myriad of struggles he has to go through

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/26/25

Full Review

Julianne O

Sometimes a film comes along that will kick and stomp me to an emotional level that overwhelms me. I put off watching Moonlight just from watching the trailer because what just those few moments did to me. The faces. The eyes. The sadness. I knew what it would do to me. I was living overseas when I saw Boyz in the Hood and I cried nearly through the entire film because I was embarrassed to be from North America. I felt ashamed to live in a country where others lived in a way that was so completely foreign to me.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/01/25

Full Review

Michari N.

An amazing story that explores the themes of masculinity and homosexuality is a well-deserved watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/25/25

Full Review

H H

Didn't hate it, didn't love it. Don't quite get the hype. The three acts so far apart in time made it hard to get the know the characters. Came across as a litter superficial to me. The cinematography was great. But the story could have been a lot better.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/18/25

Full Review

Audience Member

5/5 because lalala land fans are annoying lmao

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

Full Review

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Moonlight: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to manhood is guided by the kindness, support and love of the community that helps raise him.

Director: Barry Jenkins
Producer: Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner
Screenwriter: Barry Jenkins
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Plan B Entertainment, Pastel, Upload Films
Rating: R (Drug Use|Brief Violence|Language Throughout|Some Sexuality)
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 18, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 21, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $27.9M
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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