“It’s a breath of fresh air compared to the countless short films being made and is a solid 5 out of 5 stars from us…”

A painter struggles with his latest portrait.

This artistic and dramatic thriller from director Richard J Moir explores a compelling story that you can’t help but lean in to. The opening scene alone tells us that this is a film of a high standard with subtleties you need to pay attention to. Moir demonstrates a clear direction and understanding of visual storytelling, creating a superb film worth watching.

Lead actor James Sobol Kelly excels in the role of the painter Arthur and manages to keep the film grounded and interesting. Considering Kelly features in film mostly alone, it doesn’t take away from the story or curiosity of what might happen. This brilliant performance makes for some chilling moments and is a treat to watch, we couldn’t rate it higher!

The cinematography from Director of Photography Nicholas Peel is well worth mentioning. With such a range of scenes and environments, Peel creates a distinct look and identity to the film in keeping with them them and genre. The location was fully maximised as we get to really explore the setting and unique house the film is set in. The lighting is also worth noting as it feels totally natural and not overused to create an usual looking scene. It’s very subtle and actually works to bring the audience in and add more mystery.

The story itself is powerful and well developed, allowing for a lot of character exploration without needless exposition in the dialogue. Instead allowing the actions in each scene to tell the story which again showcases Kelly’ performance and Moir’ direction/writing. The team behind this film were clearly all on the same page and have made something that deserves recognition and viewing on a larger platform.

Music was a big part of the film and was well chosen. Blending classical and ambient atmospherics created a chilling sound in keeping with the story that elevates the production considerably. It works exceedingly well.

The 4:3 aspect ratio is something we’ve been seeing more and more of recently and is often added out of nostalgia. However in this case, it works and Peel kept this in mind when filming. The frames are clearly set up for this and it doesn’t come across as unneeded.

In the Moonlight is an outstanding film with a vintage quality to it of old style filmmaking. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to the countless short films being made and is a solid 5 out of 5 stars from us…

— APEX Film Awards