Movies Like Moonlight (2016)

Moonlight is a 2016 drama film from Barry Jenkins with a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Monster and Night Flight.

Drama

Monster

2023

After an outburst at school involving her son, a concerned single mother demands answers, triggering a sequence of deepening suspicion and turmoil.

7.9

MagicScore

Night Flight

2014

Yong-ju, Gi-woong and Gi-taek used to be best friends in middle school, but in high school, Gi-woong becomes a member of the gang that bullies Gi-taek. As Yong-ju tries to fix this broken relationship, he realizes his special feeling toward Gi-woong.

7.0

MagicScore

I Killed My Mother

2009

Hubert, a brash 17-year-old, is confused and torn by a love-hate relationship with his mother that consumes him more and more each day. After distressing ordeals and tragic episodes, Hubert will find his mother on the banks of Saint Lawrence river, where he grew up, and where a murder will be committed: the murder of childhood.

7.5

MagicScore

Love, Simon

2018

Everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old Simon Spier, it's a little more complicated. He hasn't told his family or friends that he's gay, and he doesn't know the identity of the anonymous classmate that he's fallen for online.

8.0

MagicScore

Close

2022

Two 13-year-old boys spend an idyllic summer together, but their connection is put to the test when they become the subject of speculation at school.

7.8

MagicScore

Pretty Boy

2015

Sean is taken to a motel and is given a prostitute for his 18th birthday by his father. He must sleep with her to "fix" his questionable homosexuality. "Pretty Boy" is a coming of age story of a young bullied teen, Sean, struggling with his sexuality and the hardships of high school. After his father finds some questionable magazines in his room, this devout Christian will go to any lengths to get his son to find the light and "perform" the way a man should. Sean is introduced to Katie, a prostitute that understands the stigmas of modern society and helps him see the true light that is within him.

7.6

MagicScore

Being 17

2016

Damien lives with his mother Marianne, a doctor, while his father, a pilot, is on a tour of duty abroad with the French military. At school, Damien is bullied by Thomas, who lives in the farming community up in the mountains. The boys find themselves living together when Marianne invites Thomas to come and stay with them while his mother is ill in hospital. Damien must learn to live with the boy who terrorized him.

6.8

MagicScore

You'll Never Be Alone

2016

When his cross-dressing teenage son suffers a brutally violent attack, a mannequin-factory manager desperately seeks help and, when none can be found, is forced to take matters into his own hands.

6.3

MagicScore

Fireworks

2023

The troubled relationship between Gianni and Nino, set in the narrow-minded and prejudicial Sicily of 1982.

7.4

MagicScore

#10

To the Stars

2019

Under small-town scrutiny, a withdrawn farmer’s daughter forges an intimate friendship with a worldly but reckless new girl in 1960s Oklahoma.

5.8

MagicScore

#11

Prayers for Bobby

2009

Bobby Griffith was his mother's favorite son, the perfect all-American boy growing up under deeply religious influences in Walnut Creek, California. Bobby was also gay. Struggling with a conflict no one knew of, much less understood, Bobby finally came out to his family.

8.1

MagicScore

#12

Hidden Kisses

2016

Nathan, 16, lives alone with his father Stephane. A newcomer in high school, he is invited to a party and falls in love with Louis, a boy in his class. They find themselves out of sight and kiss each other, but someone takes a picture of them. Soon, the photo is published on Facebook and a storm overtakes their lives as they face bullying and rejection.

7.5

MagicScore

#13

1:54

2016

Tim, a shy 16-year-old athlete with a natural gift for running, is dealing with the loss of his mother, as well as his sexuality. After a personal video is posted to social media, Tim's private life is about to explode into the public eye.

6.6

MagicScore

#14

Giant Little Ones

2019

Two popular teen boys, best friends since childhood, discover their lives, families, and girlfriends dramatically upended after an unexpected incident occurs on the night of a 17th birthday party.

7.1

MagicScore

#15

Handsome Devil

2017

A music-mad 16-year-old outcast at a rugby-mad boarding school forms an unlikely friendship with his dashing new roommate.

7.0

MagicScore

#16

Were the World Mine

2008

If you had a love-potion, who would you make fall madly in love with you? Timothy, prone to escaping his dismal high school reality through dazzling musical daydreams, gets to answer that question in a very real way. After his eccentric teacher casts him as Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, he stumbles upon a recipe hidden within the script to create the play's magical, purple love-pansy.

6.2

MagicScore

#17

The Mudge Boy

2003

Chronicling the troubled existence of Duncan Mudge, a 14-year-old misfit who—while vying for the attention of his vacant father—struggles to fill the void brought on by his mother's sudden death.

6.6

MagicScore

#18

Paris Is Burning

1991

Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women — including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.

8.0

MagicScore

#19

Drown

2015

Len is a Surf Lifesaving champion, a legend in the cloistered surf club just like his father. When the younger, faster, and fitter Phil arrives at the club, Len’s legendary status starts to crumble. Then Len sees Phil arriving in the company of another man. Phil is gay.

5.5

MagicScore

#20

Your Name Engraved Herein

2020

In 1987, as martial law ends in Taiwan, Jia-han and Birdy fall in love amid family pressure, homophobia and social stigma.

7.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Moonlight?

The top films similar to Moonlight by MovieMagicScore are Monster (7.9), Night Flight (7.0), I Killed My Mother (7.5). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Moonlight worth watching?

Moonlight holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10 from 7,674 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Moonlight?

Moonlight (2016) is a drama film directed by Barry Jenkins, starring Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe.

Where can I find more recommendations like Moonlight?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Monster Movies like Night Flight Movies like I Killed My Mother Movies like Love, Simon Movies like Close Movies like Pretty Boy

About movies like Moonlight

This ranked list pairs Moonlight (2016), a drama film from Barry Jenkins, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Trevante Rhodes take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

← Back to Moonlight