8.6
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Moonlight (2016)
Moonlight (2016)
Overview
The tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Rating & Dimensions
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Progressive
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Christianity: Positive
Viewer Rating
8.6
Overview
The tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Progressive
Primary
Moonlight is rated -1 (Left-Leaning) because its central subject matter, exploring the identity and struggles of a Black, gay man in a marginalized community, inherently aligns with progressive concerns, though its narrative emphasizes individual self-discovery and personal connection over explicit systemic critiques.
Moonlight features a diverse, predominantly Black cast, centering a story on a Black, gay protagonist. Its narrative provides a strong and explicit critique of societal norms and pressures related to masculinity and homophobia, which are central to the film's exploration of identity.
Secondary
Moonlight offers a deeply empathetic and complex portrayal of a Black gay man's journey through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The film depicts Chiron's struggles with identity, masculinity, and love with dignity, framing external obstacles rather than his queer identity as the source of his pain. It ultimately affirms the worth of LGBTQ+ lives and love through his quiet path to self-acceptance and connection.
The film includes a brief, respectful depiction of Juan, a central mentor figure, engaging in a personal Christian prayer before a meal. This moment quietly contributes to his character's humanity and moral grounding without critique from the narrative.
Moonlight primarily explores themes of Black masculinity, identity, and homosexuality through the life of its protagonist, Chiron. The film does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or themes, nor does it address transsexual experiences or issues within its narrative.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
Moonlight is an original film featuring new characters created for the story. It is not an adaptation, reboot, or biopic, so there are no pre-established characters whose gender could have been changed.
Moonlight is an original film based on an unproduced play. Its characters were created for this specific story, and their race was established as part of their original conception, not altered from a prior canonical or historical depiction.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.4
7.4
Critic Ratings
9.8
9.9
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