If you haven't seen it by now, please add Moonlight to your must-see movie list.
The indie drama directed by Barry Jenkins follows the life of a boy in Miami as he grows into adulthood while struggling with his sexuality.
The boy is played by three actors: Jaden Piner as a pre-teen, Ashton Sanders as an adolescent and Trevante Rhodes as the hardened young man he becomes after spending several years behind bars.
Moonlight captured Oscar buzz shortly after it premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in early September.
Rhodes says he hopes praise from critics and movie-goers will mean a larger audience.
"I think it prompts more people to see the film, like especially right now in the world, we need to see the film," he told me last night at the HFPA/InStyle announcement of Miss Golden Globes 2017. "It's not a cheesy plug when it's the truth. We need to see the film, everybody needs to see the film to understand that love is the driving force."
Rhodes and Sanders shared what it feels like to hear from men who relate to the story.
"Oh man, it's awesome to have people feel that I told the story well and my rendition of it was so universal," Sanders said. "It's great to have people respect your artistry especially when you put your heart and soul into your project like this so it's amazing and it was life-changing for me and it's life-changing for other people so that collectively is really dope."
Rhodes said, "I heard the day the trailer came out [from] people who hadn't seen it...People will come up to me with tears in their eyes saying, ‘Thank you for telling this story. This is my story. I appreciate you.' And there has been more since them. That is the reason why we do it, you know."
Naomie Harris plays the boy's crack-addicted mother Paula.
She shot her scenes in just three days after preparing for the role by watching YouTube videos.
"I definitely did take the work home with me for those three days. I was in Paula's world morning, noon, and night," Harris said, adding, "She is the most challenging role I have ever had to play because she is so far removed from who I am."
Moonlight is in theaters now.