Under the Crescent Moon (2022)

A clear message?

I am struggling to see the point of this extremely short film. It portrays the struggle with reconciling your sexuality with your religion. While we are not unfamiliar with this topic, we rarely see this is an islamic context. Not that there's any difference, intolerance looks the same in any religion. The ML is apparently the son of the imam and needs but one sentence from his father to break things off with the boy he likes. They have just started to be more than just friends and are both really sad about this. There's no real struggle, no arguments, no discussion. Just compliance, I am left wondering what exactly is the message here? Be compliant to your God/religion? It's hard being a gay muslim? Listen to your parents? I have no idea what the point is. Acting is ok, especially since these are very young actors. Music is just muslim chants. Story is hardly there.

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Story: It's a conflict between religion and homosexuality that many LGBTQ+ people who grew up in the Philippines grapple with. But instead of a devout Catholic, we see here a boy who is a practicing Muslim, but dealing with the same struggles.

Acting: Nothing to write home about. I can attest that they can ride a motorcycle around the city as they search for answers.

Music: The chanting maybe louder.

Rewatch Value: Not significant to warrant a second look.

Overall Impression: The message is clear, but the execution probably not. With perhaps better resources to support a longer length, this film could have been decent. As it stands, it's mediocre.

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