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Poster for Moonlight

Moonlight

2002 · 1h 31m · N/A Romance, Thriller
Directed by Paula van der Oest

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Overview

Claire lives with her wealthy adopted parents in a luxurious and isolated house in the woods. She discovers a wounded and bleeding boy her age in her family's garden shed. The boy is a young drug courier from Afghanistan; shot and wounded after serving his purpose as human packing material. Claire decides to keep the boy a secret. He slowly recovers under her care; and they fall in love. When the drug dealers return and Claire's family is due to move back to the city; they decide to flee; though Claire finds it difficult to outrun her past as an abandoned child.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
60%
Tomatometer
Rotten

There's an air of prefab provocation about the whole thing, and viewers should know that the director has a penchant for squirm-inducing images, not all of them strictly necessary.

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
Fresh

Moonlight is a disturbing and daring thriller with an exceptional performance by 13-year-old Laurien Van den Broeck.

V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Rotten

A wild dream that spins into a nightmare, Moonlight isn't quite as provocative as it aims to be.

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Fresh

In this English-language Dutch thriller, a 13-year-old girl and a young Afghan drug courier fall in love while fleeing his employers.

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
Fresh

Not only is the candid (but never prurient) treatment of early-teen sexuality and drug use too hot to handle, but the narrative blend of fairy-tale wonder and nightmare logic feels sui generis.

Joshua Land, Village Voice

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