In theaters October 21, 2016.

An A24 and Plan B Entertainment Presentation

A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, MOONLIGHT chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.

At once a vital portrait of contemporary African American life and an intensely personal and poetic meditation on identity, family, friendship, and love, MOONLIGHT is a groundbreaking piece of cinema that reverberates with deep compassion and universal truths. Anchored by extraordinary performances from a tremendous ensemble cast, Jenkins’s staggering, singular vision is profoundly moving in its portrayal of the moments, people, and unknowable forces that shape our lives and make us who we are.

Starring Trevante Rhodes, Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, and Alex Hibbert

Directed by Barry Jenkins
Screenplay by Barry Jenkins
Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Produced by Adele Romanski p.g.a., Dede Gardner p.g.a., and Jeremy Kleiner p.g.a.

Andre Holland & Trevante Rhodes; Credit: Photo by David Bornfriend, courtesy of A24

This transcript has been lightly edited:

The Referee: Hey there, listeners. We got chance — we being the Critic and I — to see a Sneak Peek of “Moonlight,” which is coming out October 21. It is directed and written by Barry Jenkins!

The Critic: Oh. (laughter)

Ref: And, it stars a pretty amazing cast. Listen, this is what people are saying: This movie is, basically — where “Brokeback Mountain” stopped, it starts. Which — I don’t know about that.

Critic: I don’t either.

Ref: But, we’ll get to, kind of, the reason why.

Critic: OK. Yeah. So, we saw this at the New York Film Festival. Ho-ho, there we go. And, look, this tracks three phases of a young black kid’s life. So, he starts as a kid; he goes to an adolescent; he, then, becomes an adult. You know those ages, don’t you?

Ref: 10, 16, and 26! (laughs)

Critic: Whoa! OK, so, we have three different actors, playing the same character. Along the way, he has a friend who also grows up in three stages — so three different actors, playing that character. Now, here’s the thing: He starts as L’il, but his real name is Chiron. So, he’s a kid; he has a mother, played by Naomie Harris; and this mother is (lowers voice) a drug addict.

Ref: Yeah, she’s severe and abusive.

Critic: Yeah. And, this is set in Miami. OK? So, we have that milieu. Now, this mother can’t take care of him the way she needs to; she can’t even take care of herself. He, along the way, meets a drug dealer —

Ref: Yes, he does.

Critic:  — played by Mahershala Ali, our favorite.

Ref: Yeah, we love Mahershala. But, he’s a very caring drug dealer.

Critic: He is. He’s a drug dealer with a heart of gold.

Alex Hibbert & Mahershala Ali; Credit: Photo by David Bornfriend, courtesy of A24

Ref: And, he has a strange connection with that house.

Critic: Mm.

Ref: So, he feels obligated to take in this kid.

Critic: That’s right. He takes in Chiron. He introduces Chiron to his girlfriend, played by Janelle Monae —

Ref: Mm — played wonderfully by her.

Critic: Yes. Yes. Everyone here does a wonderful job, actually. So, she becomes more of the mother figure for him, because something happens to Mahershala’s character.

Ref: Yes.

Critic: Now, we then get to him being an adolescent. He’s starting to figure some things out, kind of. He’s not quite sure about —

Ref: Well, even before that, he gets bullied.

Critic: Yes.

Ref: He gets beat up. And, his friend, actually, saves him from a lot of that bullying that happened. So, he really looks to his friend.

Critic: That’s right, for help. And, his friend even says, you know, “You gon’ fight back?” and tries to get him to engage that way, so he can protect himself. So, we see him as an adolescent, now, in high school. He’s still being bullied. This friend, Kevin, is still there for him — kinda. There’s a wrinkle thrown in there — two big wrinkles, I should say. (laughter) They’re crevices. (laughing) That’s all I gotta say. Because, what happens is: We have Chiron, who is now — because he’s an adolescent — figuring out what attraction is, what sexuality is. And, Kevin’s there, everybody, to show him the way. OK?

Ref: Uh, well, hold on! (laughing) Yes, yes, yes. OK. And, then, we also find that they do have to part ways. Something very specific happens.

Ashton Sanders; Credit: Photo by David Bornfriend, courtesy of A24

Critic: That’s that other wrinkle I’m talking about.

Ref: Mm-hm. OK, (laughing) ‘cause I didn’t know what wrinkle you were talking about.

Critic: (laughing) Look. See, the Ref can’t —

Ref: No! (still laughing)

Critic: — remain professional. She’s gotta try to take me into the gutter, here. Now, look everybody, then he grows up. Cut to later: He’s gone through a transformation because of that event.

Ref: Because of that wrinkle. (laughter)

Critic: Yeah. So, there we go. He’s now in a different role. We’re not going to tell you.

Ref: No, he’s not. But, it’s a very familiar role.

Critic: Yes, it is. And, once again, Kevin comes back into his life. So, the question is, everybody: What is this relationship going to be? Now, as they’re adults, where is it going? There we go.

Ref: I mean, that’s the gist of it, and we really got into the plot. Here’s what I’ll say about this.

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: Some people are going to be way, way excited about it — as you should.

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: And some people are going be a little apprehensive, especially with the comment that I made starting out in the review.

Critic: Yeah.

Naomie Harris; Credit: Courtesy of A24

Ref: This relationship — that we’re seeing played out — is really not a relationship we’ve seen played out in a film with these two kinds of characters —

Critic: That’s right.

Ref: — in this particular environment, surrounded by the people they’re surrounded with. It really hasn’t been explored before. And, what I will say for those of you who are a little faint-of-heart, as I know some of our listeners can be: It’s delicately dealt with; it’s tastefully dealt with; and it’s not a place where you’re going to be in the theater, uncomfortable.

Critic: Right.

Ref: It’s a place where you’re going to think: “Oh, my goodness. This young man has grown up to be a very angry person, because he didn’t receive the love that he needed.”

Critic: That’s right.

Ref: And, you see what happens as a result of that.

Critic: And, it’s an interesting anger, even. It’s a sullen anger.

Ref: Yeah. It’s a very sullen anger.

Critic: Yeah. It’s just, the whole thing that Barry Jenkins did here: It’s masterful. Every moment matters. Everything is in service of, really, two major storylines.

Ref: Yes.

Critic: Everything! It’s focused. And, if you see his [Barry Jenkins’] first feature, “Medicine for Melancholy”: You can see how he started there, and, then, this is the realization of that work. The tracking from actor to actor —

Ref: Yeah. Those actors were wonderfully cast. They looked alike; they had the same mannerisms. That’s good directing.

Janelle Monáe; Credit: Photo by David Bornfriend, courtesy of A24

Critic: It was excellent directing and acting! Look, Trevante Rhodes plays the grown-up Chiron, and Andre Holland — we know him from “The Knick” and, now, “American Horror Story” — he plays the grown-up Kevin. But, the kids playing them! — And, let me also say, before we end this: the adolescents —

Ref: Oh, yeah.

Critic: They had the hardest job.

Ref: They did. They really did.

Critic: Because, you were talking about Barry Jenkins’ sensitivity: He only shows you what you need to see. He doesn’t make you uncomfortable. The adolescents had the hardest role to pull off.

Ref: They did.

Critic: So, I just think that this is a stunning film. It’s moving.

Ref: But, we can’t forget the riveting performance from Naomie Harris.

Critic: Yes.

Ref: You do not want be her child. (laughs)

Critic: I don’t wanna be anything for her. (laughter)

Ref: She really dug deep and gave us — not the stereotypical drug-addict mother.

Critic: Mm-hm.

Ref: Honestly, she was a broken woman.

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: That was the essence: She was broken, and she didn’t know how to love. And you see, by the end, there may or may not be some catharsis with that. I’ll just say that.

Critic: That’s right. And Mahershala and Janelle Monae —

Ref: Yeah. Well done.

Critic: That’s the heart.

Ref: Listen. “Moonlight.” October 21. What are you doing? You should be at the theater.