Line #1 YMMV/Moonlight2016


1	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Terrel is a viciously homophobic bully, but the sheer audacity of how he targets Chiron over completely meaningless things (like how his jeans are "too tight") implies he could be potentially closeted homosexual as well. He also seems a little jealous of how close Chiron and Kevin are, and purposefully pressures his OnlyFriend beating him senseless.
2	* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: On paper, ''Moonlight'' is about as niche and indie as you can get -- a microbudget ($1.5 million) coming-of-age art film about a gay black man growing up in poverty, featuring an all-black cast with no big-name actors (at least at the time). But the sheer volume of positive word-of-mouth the film generated throughout its release propelled it into mainstream success (including a ''Best Picture'' Oscar win).
3	* AwardSnub:
4	** Some felt Trevante Rhodes and Ashton Sanders could've been nominated for their work as the adult and teenage Chiron, respectively.
5	** A few will say that Creator/NaomieHarris deserved to win for Best Supporting Actress that year, with a common complaint being that winner Creator/ViolaDavis was [[AwardCategoryFraud nominated in the wrong category]].
6	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments: Chiron as an adult puts Kevin in his place [[spoiler:when the latter has the gall to be shocked and horrified that Chiron was forced into drug dealing, saying he shouldn't be doing that. There weren't many options for a black man with a criminal record]]. They have an argument, as Kevin is forced to face that he ruined Chiron's life. Chiron asks [[ArmorPiercingQuestion if Kevin just phoned him up to lecture him]].
7	* CatharsisFactor:
8	** After all the shit Terrel puts Chiron through, [[spoiler:Chiron finally cracking a chair over his head]] is a sight to behold. There are reports of audience members cheering at the scene.
9	** Kevin has the decency to look guilty when he sees Chiron again as an adult and learns that Chiron [[spoiler:had to go into drug dealing to support himself. Not many people in real life have the guts to apologize to ruining someone's life when they were kids. Kevin not only does that but also admits that Chiron deserved better]].
10	* EnsembleDarkhorse: Juan. An incredibly charming and warm performance from Creator/MahershalaAli combined with [[spoiler:an offscreen death one third into the movie]] have made him the movie's most memorable character for many moviegoers, as well as netting Ali an Oscar.
11	* EsotericHappyEnding: [[spoiler:Chiron reconciles with his mother and with Kevin, starting a relationship with the latter. Sounds great? Except Chiron is still a drug dealer with a criminal record, and even if he tries to go straight, it's going to be one uphill battle.]]
12	* FandomRivalry: A big one emerged between this film and ''Film/LaLaLand'' in the lead-up to the Oscars.
13	** Looking towards the ceremony, both films were considered the frontrunners for winning Best Picture, with many feeling the award would go to ''La La Land''. Given their subject matter (low-budget indie about a young gay black man growing up in poverty vs. glitzy musical about Hollywood with a predominantly white cast), a [[http://www.salon.com/2017/02/26/moonlight-vs-la-la-land-fighting-for-symbolism-or-more/ narrative]] quickly sprung up presenting the contest as a [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical statement]] on Hollywood's complex relationship with inclusivity and diversity.
14	** Tensions between fans ''skyrocketed'' when an envelope mix-up at the Oscars resulted in the ''La La Land'' crew almost taking home ''Moonlight''[='=]s Best Picture trophy.[[note]]When the time came for Creator/WarrenBeatty and Faye Dunaway to announce the Best Picture winner, a stagehand accidentally handed Beatty the second copy of the envelope containing the Best Actress recipient's name and movie. After Beatty found Creator/EmmaStone's name in the envelope, the confused speaker (Stone had already collected her Oscar, and the first copy of the Best Actress envelope, earlier that evening) passed it to Dunaway, who proceeded to read "''La La Land''" aloud into the microphone. That movie's crew had already either started or finished delivering their acceptance speeches by the time the envelope listing ''Moonlight'' as the true Best Picture victor reached the podium.[[/note]]
15	** Not helping were several news articles accused of [[SpotlightStealingSquad focusing more on]] ''La La Land'' losing the award with only a token mention of how ''Moonlight'' actually won.
16	** Ironically, the creators of the two films are on excellent terms with each other and have repeatedly praised each other's films.
17	* LGBTFanbase: Unsurprising considering the movie is in some ways a ComingOutStory, but ''Moonlight'''s success was viewed by many Black and LGBTQ people as an enormously validating moment, showing that stories about those communities could break into the mainstream and win the film world's highest honor. The fact that it did so after the widespread protests about the Oscars' lack of diversity the previous year made its victory particularly powerful.
18	* MemeticMutation: The Internet had an absolute ''field day'' with the botched Best Picture presentation for ''Moonlight''. Highlights include:
19	** [[http://www.vox.com/culture/2017/2/27/14748584/moonlight-oscar-envelope-meme This image]] of ''La La Land'' producer Jordan Horowitz holding up the announcement envelope to prove that yes, ''Moonlight'' really did win, with different movies and artists, usually ones that are (in)famous cases of AwardSnub (e.g writing ''Film/TheSocialNetwork'' over ''Film/TheKingsSpeech''), filled in.
20	** Invoking Steve Harvey's infamous Miss Universe mixup from the previous year, where he also announced the wrong winner. (Even Jimmy Kimmel, that year's Oscar host, drew the comparison shortly after TheReveal.)
21	** [[https://www.buzzfeed.com/lyapalater/this-is-what-everyones-faces-looked-like-when-the?utm_term=.xy4lDEQaY#.meYDyJ6lm Various reaction shots]] of the audience realizing what happened.
22	* MoralEventHorizon: It's heavily implied that Terrel beating Chiron to a pulp with his friends is a recurring occurrence in the school as a form of hazing ritual, but he really crosses the line even further when he pressures Chiron's OnlyFriend into joining the beating. [[spoiler: It makes Chiron's eventual snapping to the point where he breaks a chair over Terrel's head so satisfying.]]
23	* SignatureScene: Juan teaching Chiron to swim as a child.
24	* SpiritualSuccessor: In some ways, ''Moonlight'' could be considered to do for Miami what ''Series/TheWire'' did for UsefulNotes/{{Baltimore}}, but while ''The Wire'' is a macroscopic journalist and sociologist's look at a city in its entirety, ''Moonlight'' is an intimate character study focusing mainly on one character and his closest friends and relatives. However, the two works address many of the same themes and share similar literary and artistic sensibilities, and a viewer who enjoys one may well enjoy the other.
25	* TheWoobie: The protagonist himself. His mother is an abusive drug addict who takes her own frustrations out on him. As a child, Chiron was mercilessly bullied for "the way he walked", causing him to feel ashamed and repress his homosexuality through his adolescence. When he finally snaps and [[spoiler:assaults his bully, Chiron is subdued and sent to a juvenile hall]]. By the end of the film, Chiron is reduced to [[spoiler:an emotionally broken drug dealer, who tearfully confesses he's never felt loved by anyone]].

Context YMMV / Moonlight2016