Depressing but wonderful movie. The real settings really help make the movie. Great job by director.

A coming-of-age movie in a time when coming of age takes longer because of the difficulty and pain. Also, “art house” meets the hood. A much welcome and needed film - not to be missed.

A heartbreaking and touching movie about a young black man growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami. Great acting for all participating cast. The film had won the Academy Award for Best Movie 2017.

This is a very touching and beautifully shot film about one boy/man's deep pain and isolation. A creative, powerful film!

Long, pointless, and tedious film that's mediocre at it's best.
I know that I'm supposed to be enthralled by the edginess of a gay Black man in urban Miami, But, none of this is even remotely "edgy" or unfamiliar.
Why I'm supposed to care about any aspect of his excruciatingly boring life is beyond me.

This movie follows important milestones and defining moments in the life of Chiron - a young black man growing up in Miami. The quote “it takes a village to raise a child” rings true in this story as the community as a whole plays a major role in his upbringing. He must tackle issues with his own identity as well as the behaviour and actions of his mother and the people around him. He must also learn how to handle being a minority male who also happens to be gay. This movie is something that has never been seen before and deeply explores what it means to be a human. I would rate this film 4.5/5 stars.
- @The_Reviewer of the Teen Review Board of the Hamilton Public Library

Well made film. Part 1 was a bit slow as the main character didn’t speak much at all.

Though the first 35 minutes or so were very hushed, the film was compelling and the storytelling was strong. My connection to the narrative did drop off, admittedly, once the homosexual narrative was introduced and then I almost felt the movie just sort of ended. I didn't feel I had much to work with or take from the film when it was all said and done. I felt for the character, especially at the beginning, but then slowly but surely it faded. Especially as a grown and rugged man, seemingly disconnected from his past, even the clear and necessary attempt to put bring the story full circle didn't work fully for me.

In the special features, it was remarked how well the three different actors (for the same, growing protagonist character) 'seamlessly' transitioned and were able to subtly portray the reality of this being the same young boy growing up. I would disagree. May not be the actors' fault as much as the script itself, but either way I enjoyed the beginning of the film and disliked it by the end. But still interesting, with some moving portrayals of a rough upbringing and trying to make it work

Beautiful, perfectly paced, with incredible acting and cinematography. After watching it a second time I found it equally powerful. More than worthy of best picture. The attention to detail is remarkable: imbuing every shot with the humanity of the characters, the composition and focus on color in every shot, the small facial expressions, the soundtrack, the presence of place, the tracking of each character over time. More than earned it's 5 stars from me.

Slow, uninspired, and retread cinematic shots that ultimitely lead nowhere.
The acting is mediocre, the pace moves at a snails crawl, and I really couldn't make a connection with the protagonist.
He's lifeless and uninteresting.
Why this win Best Picture I will never know.