"I really need to tell you something."

There's a certain comfort in seeing a familiar but often butchered premise finally developed properly. Above all else, The Light of the Moon feels honest and understanding, highlighting the conflict in the smallest moments. This is a movie about feeling secure, mentally and physically, and the emotional struggle that immediately follows trauma. We face the unexciting aspects of the aftermath because they are true nevertheless, and people must do these day to day tasks regardless of what happened to them the night before. The visual direction is not without flaws, but the vulnerability it pulls from every actor more than compensates. Stephanie Beatriz is truly fantastic here, acting with her entire body and never once letting a word ring false. The inciting incident is a horrific one to watch, and the rest of the film is similarly uncomfortable, but there's an essential lightness to this that keeps it from over being too much. I'm happy to have paid to see this.

Rating: 75/100