Trailer Thursday: Moonlight

You know how I recently mentioned that I was tired of the movies Hollywood puts out about black people? How I’m over movies that showcase black people suffering, or movies that show us being the help, or those movies that treat us like we’re good for little more than a few yucks? How it’s so often the same old, same old? Yeah. I’m over those. I want Hollywood to offer more diverse roles to black actors. I want to see black actors in the kind of movies that white folks receive. And while there’s a long way to go before we see any sort of parity in the movie industry in this regard, every little step does help. Steps like the upcoming  film, Moonlight (debuting in theaters on Oct. 21), which features a story about black people in roles that differ from the norm; in a couple of different ways. As such, I think I’ll plunk down my hard earned cash to watch it:

Take your first look at what promises to be one of the real indie gems of this coming fall movie season. Director Barry Jenkins’Moonlight is about three phases in the life of a man named Chiron, chronicling the struggles he is experiencing with both his sexuality and the people in his life while growing up in Miami.

[…]

The ensemble cast includes Mahershala Ali (House of Cards, The Hunger Games), Andre Holland (The Knick), Naomie Harris (28 Days Later, Spectre), Ashton Sanders (Straight Outta Compton), Trevante Rhodes (HBO’s upcoming Westworld), and six-time Grammy Award nominated singer-songwriter Janelle Monáe (Some Nights) in her film debut.

A queer film with a largely (wholly?) black cast?

I’m there.

This is more of what I’m asking for Hollywood. Less slave movies. Less laugh at the black people movies. Less black people helping out movies. I don’t think that’s asking for much. After all, y’all can manage to showcase white folks in a wide range of roles. You can do the same for us.

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Trailer Thursday: Moonlight
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