The Light of the Moon

This is a very moving film about a woman who survives a sexual assault, but almost doesn't survive the emotional aftermath when she chooses to keep silent about the experience. Before you worry that it is a "feel bad" movie, I assure you it is anything but. This is a drama, but the lead actress Stephanie Beatriz brings her comedic charm into the role, making her character that much more appealing. Truthfully, Stephanie Beatriz is so incredible in this film, I just don't know who else could've made the writing and her character pop the same way she did. This is a film about relationships, about the reality of sexual assault, about living in New York City, and about one woman's attempt to cope. I highly recommend it!

The timing of this film couldn't be better. It is a much watch for anyone who was the victim of a sexual assault or knows someone who is. You will learn so much about the physical and emotional damage it does. Director/writer Jessica Thompson has brought it, and Stephanie Beatriz gives an Oscar-worthy performance!

Writer-director Jessica M. Thompson's gaze is both compassionate and unflinching-- a remarkable feat-- as she directs Stephanie Beatriz in a truly remarkable performance. The film tackles an unfortunately necessary topic at a necessary time. We need this movie and more filmmakers with Thompson's clear-eyed voice. Long takes and a naturalistic approach make her direction standout as well.

Light of the Moon is a unique film, approaching the subject of rape in a sobering, relatable way. The movie begins with a stylish architect who goes out for a typical Brooklyn-night-out with friends and is assaulted on her walk home. What's remarkable and most disturbing about this movie is how it pragmatic it presents the awful crime of rape. The residual events are rational and never over dramatic as the story follows Bonnie's psychology and that of her boyfriend's through the weeks the couple attempts at resolving the incident, sometimes through awkward moments, and sometimes through tearful fights. After all, the world continues to turn around Bonnie despite what happened to her. The dialogues are visceral as we understand the feelings of Bonnie as she accuses those around her for treating her like a victim, while simultaneously we empathize with her boyfriend and his point of view. This is an eye opening film.

This felt more like an after school special in some ways than a movie. The acting was horrible or maybe it was the dialogue or maybe it was both. It does treat the topic in a way that I haven't seen in other movies.