An Ode to Moonlight's Chopped and Screwed Score

The last time I saw Barry Jenkins’ soulful epic Moonlight was when it debuted in 2016. I was in my mid-20s, around the same age as protagonist Chiron during the film’s third act, and I was taken by its gorgeous cinematography, performances, and Chiron’s tricked-out Chevy Impala. Its themes—of identity, queerness, and Black masculinity as defined by life in the South—weren’t lost on me, but since I was in the haze of young adulthood myself, they didn’t hit me quite as hard as they could’ve. That all changed when I watched it again last week, during a one-night-only screening in IMAX, and realized that everything about Moonlight, especially the quiet devastation of its ending, had become more potent over time. And part of that was because of my deeper appreciation for the film’s use of Texas chopped and screwed music.