The Light of the Moon
The Light of the Moon delves into the messy realities of the emotional and physical fallout of rape, giving rise to a moving yet sensitive drama.
The feature duration launching for director Jessica M. Thompson , The Light of the Moonis a sexual rape drama cast anchor by a leading performance fromBrooklyn Nine - Nine ’s Stephanie Beatriz . Beatriz was among the standouts in Destin Daniel Crutton ’s Indie dramaShort Term 12before she became known for play Detective Rosa Diaz , so in a senseLight of the Moonbrings her back to her act roots . Thompson , for her part , is an Australian filmmaker who worked in the field of documentaries and shorts prior to her fancied narrative debut . Her storytelling sensibilities serve the subject matter here well , allowing the film to succeed as a thoughtful case written report . The Light of the Moondelves into the messy realness of the emotional and physical fallout of rape , giving rising slope to a moving yet sensitive drama .
Bonnie ( Beatriz ) is a Brooklyn - based designer leading the good life , between her rising calling and her steady homelife with boyfriend Matt ( Michael Stahl - David ) . Then one night , after an eve of countenance off steam and drink with her friends , Bonnie is walk home when she is attacked and sexually assault by a hooded aggressor . Although she attempt to convince Matt at first that she was " only " mugged , the truth comes out when Bonnie is question by the police and treat for her wound at the infirmary afterwards . Nevertheless , Bonnie asks Matt to not tell anyone what really materialize , include her friends and even her own parents .
Despite her insisting that she ’s on the fixture , Bonnie ’s effort to generate to her honest-to-god life falter and her battle begin to impact everything from her friendly relationship to her efforts at employment . Crack likewise start to appear in her human relationship with Matt as they set about to recover their former sense of intimacy , with Matt further clasp under the press of being the only one close to Bonnie who be intimate her mystery . Everything at long last comes to a caput when another woman in Bonnie ’s neighborhood is spoil and the assaulter is beguile and arrest , forcing Bonnie to help in the investigation to find out if he ’s the same man who assaulted her .
The Light of the Moonwon the Narrative Feature Audience Award at the 2017 SXSW Festival and was honour with additional nomination ( along with a win at the Women Film Critics Circle Awards ) during its festival circuit tour last year . Written , directed , and edited by Thompson , Light of the Moonhandles its difficult subject matter from the perspective of a compassionate outsider look in . This glide slope serves the narrative well and was no doubt influenced by Thompson ’s background knowledge in docudrama storytelling , allowing the cinema to avoid being exploitatory in its discussion of subject like rape and how masses process traumatic experiences . Thompson and her cinematographer Autumn Easkin ( who also come from a documentary film and short films background knowledge ) likewise keep the tv camera fixed on the characters ' face throughout much of the film , focus on their excited experiences over the more lurid component of any special view .
Thompson ’s book is similarly considerate in its approach and avoid sensationalizing Bonnie ’s emotional journey over the course of the celluloid ’s runtime . The Light of the Moonis refreshfully inclusive in its glide path to the subject of sexual violation too , as it find way to organically come to upon important upshot over the course of telling Bonnie ’s taradiddle ( like how women of colour rape victims - black adult female specially - are treated differently by the law than clean char ) . WhileLight of the Moondoesn’t plunge too deeply into any of the tangents and side topics that it raises over the course of its narrative , it vigorously avoid overextending itself by trying to take on too many number at once . As such , the movie manage to be informative in the way that documentaries are without feeling like it ’s a public help content disguised as a fictional character play .
Beatriz ’s functioning is a big part of what makesLight of the Moonwork as a whole . ditch the blue outspoken tones that she uses to play Rosa Diaz for her regular voice , Beatriz fully explores Bonnie ’s conflict in the consequence of her assault , including her self - incrimination and denial of just how much the event actually impacted her mentally and physically . Stahl - David is every bit solid in his portrayal of Matt , showing how the character tries his very best to do and say all the correct thing to Bonnie , to a fault . Thompson often films Beatriz and Stahl - David ’s one on one scenes in unmarried and/or largely continuous takes , allowing the actors ' performances to take center stage and illustrate what Bonnie and Matt are going through emotionally , but are hesitant to tell one another .
As square as Thompson ’s first directorial effort is overall , there are some flaws that keep back it back from achieving immenseness . The Light of the Moonwas filmed on location in New York on what was clearly a micro - budget , but has difficulty with creating the sort of rich atm and gumption of metre / home that other filmmaker have while operating on a similar shoe string budget . Similarly , the film fight to flesh out important put up player like Bonnie ’s gay friend Jack ( How To Get out with Murder ’s Conrad Ricamora ) , and falls dead of develop them beyond intimate archetype . Nevertheless , the supporting cast produce the most of the comparatively fragile material bring home the bacon to them . actor such as Cindy Cheung ( 13 Reasons Why ) and Catherine Curtin ( Orange is the New Black ) even do to leave a last impression , despite only come out in a undivided scene or two .
The Light of the Moondidn’t get ahead much traction when it began a limited theatrical run last November , but the picture show is deserving checking out now that it ’s being made available for streaming through Amazon Prime , as part of their program Amazon Video Direct ’s Film Festival Stars . In addition to Beatriz ’s first-class performance , the film does a good job addressing what is unhappily relevant - as - ever subject subject in a considerate and non - exploitative style . Here is to skip thatThe Light of the Moongets the tending that it merit and further shines the spot on Beatriz as a still budding acting gift .
TRAILER
The Light of the Moonis now available for cyclosis through Amazon Prime , iTunes , and Amazon on Demand . It is 90 minutes long and is not shop , but is intended for mature audiences .
The Light of the Moon , directed by Jessica M. Thompson , explores the aftermath of a sexual assault on a young New York City architect , played by Stephanie Beatriz . The film delves into the emotional and psychological struggles she faces as she tries to find control over her life and relationships .
Stephanie Beatriz in The Light of the Moon
Michael Stahl-David and Stephanie Beatriz in The Light of the Moon
Conrad Ricamora and Stephanie Beatriz in The Light of the Moon
