Moonlight at its essence is a beautiful film told through a heartbreaking, but also breathtaking, story. It’s a film that focuses all of its energy on its characters, and it works to perfection. There is no need for action shots or CGI. It is pure emotion in a journey filled with the confusion and hysteria of finding oneself. That journey that everyone experiences is hard enough already, but to experience it through the turmoil of family and environment is something else completely.

We get to see that in Moonlight. With its emotional and powerful colors and its signature style of silent shots overlaid with beautiful classical music, the audience beholds something pure and exemplary. All of these things combine into a melting pot of perfect storytelling to make Moonlight.

We follow a boy in Miami who struggles to exist. He’s plagued by a poor environment and a drug addicted mother. Director Barry Jenkins guides us through his enthralling journey by showing us three stages of protagonist’s life. His name is Chiron.

We begin in the first chapter titled “Little.” It takes place in Chiron’s youth. In the opening scene of the movie we see Chiron being chased by a few bigger and older boys who scream his embarrassing nickname – “Little.” They chase him into a crack hole where he locks himself inside. Eventually, they leave, and Chiron is left alone. This is until Juan, played by Mahershala Ali, tears off a boarded window to see the boy inside. Scared and quiet, Chiron follows Juan outside, and the two begin a very quiet relationship together. The more and more Chiron escapes his mother, the more time he spends with Juan, who guides him into a more enlightened state about himself.

In the second chapter, “Chiron” we see Chiron as a teenager in high school. He’s often bullied and has difficulty speaking out because he discovers more about himself, including his sexuality. It’s here that he finds a friend, Kevin, and the story develops even more into Chiron’s intriguing life.

The third chapter is titled “Black.” We see Chiron in his adulthood. This stage is easily the most transformative as we see Chiron move into a more self-sustained lifestyle. Trevante Rhodes, who plays Chiron in his adulthood, plays him extremely well, as we get to see some of the same emotions and expressions that were shown at his youngest.

These three stages show us Chiron in a way that is rarely directed. Seeing three different actors, play the same person over time is not easy to pull off, but, clearly, all three nailed their respective roles. It’s this kind of courage and risk that makes good films into great films.

The most beautiful part about this movie might also be its simplest. Late into the first chapter, a scene begins at the beach. Juan walks into the water and Chiron soon follows. The scene shows Juan teaching Chiron how to swim. A simple life skill is turned into something of a baptism.

In fact that is exactly the word Barry Jenkins used with Mahershala Ali when talking to him before the filming of the scene. The camera is rustled by the beautiful teal waves lit by the bright, cloudy sky. As Juan holds Chiron on top of the water, everything falls into place. The beautiful violin music, the stress in Chiron’s face, the happiness in Juan’s, everything that happens in this scene wordlessly explains the importance of what’s happening.

An unbreakable bond forms in a scene so simple, and this is just one of the examples that makes Moonlight so great. Words cannot describe how intriguing and deep this movie is. You have to see it for yourself. Five stars.