Blue Moon Review: The best drama of the 98th season
Most of my critics' circle friends didn't really click with Blue Moon and found it to be the weakest of the nominated films. Then again, I loved the other music biopic with "Blue" in the title, and some of those same critics raved about Sentimental Value, which, in my opinion, is one of the weakest Oscar nominees in the history of Oscar nominations. As such, my enamorment with this premise as an underdog, tragic-yet-hopeful biopic really drew me to see this film, much like the aforementioned "Blue" compadre, Song Sung Blue.
Instead of following a Neil Diamond cover band, this film follows the former latter half of the duo Rogers & Hart as he unpacks the fact that he was left behind for Hammerstein for Oklahoma; he isn't what audiences want anymore. Oh, and he's being friend-zoned by the love of his life. To me, as an aspiring musician, screenwriter, and everything in between, this was absolutely my kind of money. So, did the film live up to my hopes for it and exceed other opinions of it? Was it this year's second subdued drama that hit for me, when I enjoyed Train Dreams, appreciated Hamnet, and downright disliked Sentimental Value, even as the biggest red-headed white boy International Cinema film buff in the state of Idaho? All these questions will be answered in due time in today's Reel Ranker review. Thanks for letting my stupid humor and five-dollar-word-filled, pretentious writing be your entertainment for today. Let's dive into this film.
This is supposed to be my stereotypical, start-of-review negatives section, but I've got nothing to say. This film does everything I wanted it to perfectly and in the most lovingly crafted, heartbreaking, and intriguing way possible. The only possible complaint I could muster is that I could've used a longer runtime, because I loved the movie so much. I would've loved to see the rest of his life unfold, rather than end with the little text crawl. Then again, it still ended perfectly and was paced correctly for its runtime, and I know a lot of people probably would've felt it was drawn out if it were any longer. You know I love a movie if my only complaint is "give me more" or "give me a sequel telling me more about this flawed yet lovable man". The only other thing to note is, while I'll be (spoilers) giving this film a 9/10 at the end of this review, that is not a diss: this film is only fourth behind Bugonia, Marty Supreme, and Weapons in my ranking of the 98th Oscar season features.
Now, to actually talk about why I feel so strongly that this is one of the best films of the year (and one that certainly deserved to boot Sentimental Value out of the Best Picture race). Ethan Hawke's performance in this movie could literally be in my top 10 favorite performances of all time, and, putting aside my love for Psych, 24, Lost, Just Add Magic, and some franchises I'm just obsessed with for one reason or another, it is probably the best. In a movie set in one bar for the entire runtime, I was so absorbed in this man's life that I wouldn't even want a second location to take away from the film's stripped-back nature. The flaws, strengths, addictions, love, and everything in between are on display for the character of Lorenz Hart, and it's engrossing and immersive in a way almost no character is.
He feels multifaceted, and while this is an overdue claim that rarely feels true, Ethan Hawke makes him feel like a real person, not a character. Many characters do feel incredibly real, but not many feel actually real to me, even though they're great. And, honestly, I'm fine with that, as there are limits to fiction. But this is a rare film that breaks past this restriction to have this wonderful depiction of what it is to be human... Of what it is to be a creative (and actually pulls it off without feeling like the pretentious Oscar-bait of Sentimental Value... yes, I will continue to roast that movie at any chance I get until the day I leave this planet). Speaking of leaving this planet, as someone who believes in heaven and reuniting with all those who've passed on, I can't wait to meet this guy: he's high up my list.
Outside of my unrelenting praise for Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley also delivered a remarkable performance as this character. She's an actress I've been a pretty big fan of recently, and, while I know it won't happen, I'm gunning for her role in How to Make A Killing to get her a Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar (which should be called Best Supporting Actress, sue me) because she was lovely in that ridiculously over-hated film. She really bounces off Ethan Hawke beautifully in this film, and it's tragic to see how differently they see each other. And while I've recently dogged on a couple of movies for having age gaps in romantic interests, this is a rare film that does it right because it's so apparent that Hawke is not a predator. It's really a marvelous portrayal of unrequited love and a destiny that's not meant to be, while still being an electrically wholesome friendship and mentorship with a hint of a non-romantic, friends-with-benefits type of desire in Qualley's character.
While she's obviously the highlight as far as this film's supporting characters go, there's a wide variety of intriguing characters hanging around at the bar here. From the bartender to the replacement Hammerstein himself, there's a ton of interesting interactions throughout the film. My favorite thing about Rogers and Hammerstein is that neither of them hates Hart—in fact, it's quite the opposite. They both deeply appreciate him, yet his difficult-to-work-with nature, reliance on alcohol, and lack of adaptability to the current zeitgeist make Rogers and Hammerstein completely sympathetic and understandable characters, portrayed wonderfully by Andrew Scott and Simon Delaney, respectively. This film continues its magic as a film full of realistic portrayals, even down to its small yet monumental roles. While films where a bunch of people just talk in a room might never be 5-star, endlessly rewatchable films for me, Blue Moon is probably the closest it will ever get because this film's vibe is so unequivocally cozy. While sad throughout, Hart's ability to stay positive and the respect between everyone on screen, all elevated by the comfy, homey bar setting, make this a film I'd happily revisit or rewatch at any time if someone wanted me to join them. Outside of bottle-thrillers like Wait Until Dark or Dial M for Murder, this is currently the only one-room, dialogue-focused film that I can say that I'd ever want to rewatch.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 90%
Letter Score: A+
Star Ranking: 4.5 out of 5
Blue Moon is certainly one of 2025's best films, including one of cinema's greatest performances of all time by Ethan Hawke. Immersing you in its unique premise and exploring its multi-dimensional, realistic characters is a treat to behold, and its lack of flashiness and one-room setting contribute to its raw ability to explore humanity and relationships in a way that is incredibly powerful, through the hopeful, respectful, and tragic landscape of Lorenz Hart's life.
Check out my reviews for some of the other 98th Academy Awards season nominees below!
Brighton Nelson
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