London Film Festival Day 2: Moonlight, A Monster Calls, Christine & More

9. Moonlight

Barry Jenkins' (Medicine for Melancholy) second feature is an immensely unique look at one young man, Chiron, transition into adulthood as he wrestles with what it means to be a gay black man.

Set over three formative periods of Chiron's early life, all three actors (Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes) deliver spectacular performances that reveal more about the man he eventually comes to be.

Arguably the show-stealers here, however, are Mahershala Ali as Juan, a drug dealer with a heart of gold who takes pre-adolescent Chiron under his wing and proves surprisingly effective at instilling life lessons. Meanwhile, Naomie Harris could very well be Oscar-bound with her devastating performance as Chiron's drug addict mother, a true force of nature who steals practically every scene she's in.

Given how many movies about the young black experience revolve primarily around drugs and/or crime, it's a pleasant surprise to see a movie hinge more on their personal development, and in this case, their sexuality.

Rating: It'd be a crime if Moonlight didn't score a Best Picture Oscar nomination, and there's every chance with its sublime work across-the-board, it could walk away with a ton of trophies. 8/10