This close-up shot of Chiron depicts a critical moment of change. The viewer acts as the mirror Chiron is looking into, which reflects his mangled face and shame. Here, Jenkins uses numb facial expression and key light to express Chiron's willingness to change. Although tattered, Chiron's face is glowing from his bathroom light, signifying something greater beyond what's visible on the surface. This close-up, decorated with a blend of emotions, gives the reader a glimpse into Chiron's new identity.

In the shot above, Jenkins uses an over-the-shoulder perspective to create an intimate, immersive experience from Chiron's point of view. By positioning us behind Chiron, Jenkins allows us to sense his quiet observation of Kevin, highlighting the tension. Here, Kevin is shown in a moment of reflection, perhaps in a vulnerable state, as the shallow depth of field isolates him from his surroundings. This visual separation symbolizes moments when he, too, grapples with his identity, relationships, and internal struggles. Toward the end of the film, we see how Black and Kevin struggle to express their true feelings bound by the expectations and experiences that have shaped them. How does this shot and more tie to the themes of identity and self-reflection in the film?

This 3/4 shot, illuminated by a harsh pink backlight highlights a moment of tension between Chiron and his mother. The color pink is often associated with love and warmth, but here, it feels corrupted—reflecting the complicated, tainted relationship Chiron has with his mother.

The 3/4 shot illuminates the internal conflict within his mother, as she struggles with addiction. This scene highlights the point from which she is consumed by the guilt of failing her son, but instead of addressing it, she lashes out; making this scene a full embodiment of her shame.

Throughout Moonlight, we see blue lighting reflecting on black skin repeatedly after Juan tells his story about "black boys look blue in the moonlight." This medium shot of the children playing under the moonlight in the ocean is the example that stood out the most to me. We see other moments where the blue lighting is hitting Chiron, like when he lifts his head from the sink as an adult and his skin looks blue. As these kids are playing and having fun, Chiron is driving back to Miami to see Kevin. Chiron swimming in that exact ocean is one of his earliest and best memories he has. It shows the young black kids shining blue under the moon. Just like Chiron used to do and just like Juan used to do. Just like all black children/people do. This scene connects Chiron back to Miami and back to his childhood as he's going back home for the first time in years.

Using a close shot of Chiron, the audience is forced to observe his reactions and his relationship with the water. By having the camera submerged in the water, the audience is encouraged to weigh the perspective of Chiron and of the water equally, connecting to the idea of "becoming" water that is repeated throughout the movie.

The medium close-up shot of Paula where she forces Chiron to give up his money is test of his loyalty. This shot captures part of Paula's body language, which suggests how desperate she is in this moment for money/drugs. She is leaning into the camera and toward Chiron, exuding an overbearing and forceful presence. The film immediately establishes that Juan and Teresa are more prominent and stable parental figures than Paula. Moonlight investigates this idea of a chosen family (Juan and Teresa) and a biological family. Although she is not a present mother and acts selfishly, Paula expects Chiron to give up everything for her. She constantly criticizes Teresa in this scene and reminds Chiron that she is not his blood nor kin to test his loyalty.

In this shot, we see an over the shoulder medium close-up shot of Kevin when he's telling Chiron that he knows that he (Chiron) can keep a secret. What do we think this choice of a shot conveys about Kevin's action of boasting intercourse with a female? Possibly, this serves as leway into Kevin's true intentions with Chiron. In this scene, the angle of the shot has hardly any Chiron in it, though displaying most of Kevin. Does the shot convey that Kevin is taking the initiative in hinting towards intimate relations? Kevin is seen taking most authority in this scene, hence, the over the shoulder shot, minimizing Chiron's visibility on the screen, paired with the medium close shot of Kevin could convey how Kevin is taking control of the situation and is seen displaying authority.

The two shot works with warm lighting, soft music and conversation, and laughter to create a very stereotypical family dinner scene. However, this is not Chiron's family; he met these people meet hours ago. Despite that, when he is with his actual mother, darker, cooler toner are used in contrast to this shot, emphasizing the subversion of typical family dynamics and relationships and the comfort that Chiron feels with Juan and Teresa.