The production values are low and other than Stephanie Beatriz's excellent work, the performances are amateurish, yet the film is thoughtful and detailed and non-exploitative.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 8, 2019

As a debut film, The Light of the Moon is remarkable, condensing its weighty themes down in to a winningly perceptive and achingly human character drama.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Dec 11, 2018

An intelligent and mature examination of the post-traumatic experience of sexual assault, depicting how even the good intentions of well-meaning people perpetuate a toxic culture of blaming and controlling victims.

| Dec 11, 2018

Through it all, Beatriz is magnificent, offering a textured performance that throttles between grief, denial, strength, anger, always using her comedic chops to amplify the disconnect between Bonnie's attitude and her circumstance.

| Original Score: B | Nov 5, 2018

...a rewarding and powerful film.

| Apr 11, 2018

Intimate, mature drama chronicles aftermath of a rape.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 7, 2018

Stephanie Beatriz gives a complicated, shattering performance.

| Mar 7, 2018

The Light of the Moon succeeds with heart and sensitivity.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 7, 2018

The Light of the Moon is lived-in, in every sense of the word. It's able to provide a point of view of how life continues after something as serious as sexual assault with sensitive but impactful micro-moments.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 5, 2018

The Light of the Moon delves into the messy realities of the emotional and physical fallout of rape, giving rise to a moving yet sensitive drama.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 2, 2018

The Light of the Moon is the first feature by writer-director Jessica M Thompson, who has leveraged maximum value from her cast and a shoestring budget to create a low-key but potent sign-of-the-times bulletin.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 1, 2018

The movie is, however, a refreshingly honest approach to a subject all too often used as a plot device to inspire either an Oscar-winning tears-and-trauma performance or a trail of blood and violence. For this reason alone, it should be applauded.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 1, 2018

... [director Jessica M] Thompson's film composes a congruent manifesto to understand the need to respect a person's determination on how to focus the rest of their own life. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 6, 2018

Thompson's terrifically-assured debut is a thoughtful and no-frills meditation that feels personal and credible and maybe even helpful to some. Stephanie Beatriz is exceptional.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 4, 2018

Emotional but never manipulative, showcasing Thompson's burgeoning filmmaking gifts, skillfully managing performances, soulful questioning, and unsettled atmosphere.

| Original Score: B+ | Jan 25, 2018

Its earnest tone is a major flaw.

| Jan 11, 2018

The Light of the Moon is an admirable film about a challenging topic. Thompson tackles the subject of rape directly and honestly and doesn't shy away from its inflicted wounds.

| Dec 5, 2017

With a story about surviving sexual assault, The Light of the Moon may perhaps be one of the most timeliest films of the year.

| Dec 4, 2017

What the director wants us to understand, what the film dramatizes with a complexity that will likely feel personal, is that there isn't only one way to respond to rape.

| Nov 27, 2017

A clear-eyed film that's clinical in its specifics.

| Nov 16, 2017