Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon finally releases this weekend, but it’s going to face some tough compeтιтion at the box office. This includes the release of Scott Derrickson’s Black Phone 2, Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune, and Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt. Still, Linklater’s hidden gem doesn’t deserve to get buried in the noise.

Blue Moon received very strong reviews from the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year, and it’s been steadily doing the rounds of the festival circuit ever since. The story centers around acclaimed composer Lorenz Hart, who reckons with the downward trajectory of his own career on the opening night of his old partner’s new musical, Oklahoma!.

It’s a movie that is worth seeing, though not many people may be aware of it. If you need to be convinced, consider these reasons.

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It’s Based On A Touching True Story

Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart were two of the pioneering voices in musical theater throughout the ’30s and ’40s, but Blue Moon takes a very unconventional approach to their story. Instead of detailing their careers like a typical biopic would, the screenplay focuses solely on Lorenz’s perspective in the aftermath of the duo’s professional break-up.

The film takes place over the course of a single night as Hart reflects on his career from the comfort of his local bar, where his old partner soon turns up to celebrate the opening of his new play. It’s a very powerful meditation on the fleeting nature of success, but it’s made even sweeter by the fact that it’s largely true.

While this specific evening in Hart’s life is largely speculative, the context and background of these two musical experts are entirely true. The pair were integral in the early years of musical theater, and while this isn’t really a musical movie, it feels like a very poignant celebration of the art form as a whole.

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It’s A Long-Awaited Reunion Between Linklater & Hawke

Linklater and Ethan Hawke have collaborated a number of times, most recently on 2014’s Boyhood. Their professional relationship began with the Before Sunrise trilogy, which started in 1995 and came to an emotional conclusion in 2013. However, the pair haven’t worked together since then — until now.

Blue Moon immediately proves why Linklater and Hawke are an unstoppable force. Hawke has such an ineffable knack for bringing Linklater’s films to life, never shying away from the long monologues and literary dialogue, but rather using his theatrical background to give them an incredible energy and momentum.

Blue Moon is largely carried on Hawke’s shoulders; this has to be one of the longest, most wordy screenplays he’s ever memorized, but he does an excellent job throughout. The pair clearly understand each other’s working methods very well, and that’s crucial for a project that so heavily hinges on the dynamic between writer and actor.

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It Features A Powerful Screenplay From Robert Kaplow

Richard Linklater is renowned for his rich, poignant screenplays that often navigate universal themes such as love, loss, and nostalgia, but with Blue Moon, Linklater brought somebody new on board. This film is written by Robert Kaplow, the author behind the hugely acclaimed novel Me and Orson Welles.

Kaplow takes the true story of Lorenz Hart and transforms it into a powerful, often painful story of the artistic experience, commenting on the burden that great artists often carry in their souls.

Linklater has been nominated at the Oscars for his writing on multiple occasions, including for Before Sunset, Before Midnight, and Boyhood. This year’s Oscars is already looking very stacked, but it’s entirely possible that Kaplow could replicate his collaborator’s success if there’s enough pᴀssion behind this project.

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It Has A Beautiful Original Score

Music plays a huge role in the story of Blue Moon, so it’s crucial that the film’s score is just as wispy and enchanting as the music of Lorenz Hart and Richard Rogers. Thankfully, Linklater’s long-time composer Graham Reynolds does an impeccable job with the music, delivering one of his most magical scores to date.

Reynolds previously worked with Linklater on Before Midnight and Hit Man, so the pair clearly have a strong working relationship already. His music in Blue Moon really captures the heartache and nostalgia of Hart’s character, letting the audience into his mind and perfectly giving his emotions a warm, jazz-inspired sonic palette.

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It’s Tailor-Made For Musical Theater Fans

Although Blue Moon is certainly accessible to general audiences, those who are at least slightly familiar with Rogers and Hart’s works will find even more to enjoy about this movie. It doesn’t require any prior knowledge to truly appreciate the themes that Linklater and Kaplow are going for, but there are enough references to elevate the story for long-time fans of their work.

Something that Blue Moon does really well is take this very specific story and generalize it, ensuring that everybody can relate to Hart’s journey despite their own personal experiences. This isn’t just about the opening night of a play, but rather a much more holistic story about observing others’ success and contemplating our own artistic value.

But in doing so, Blue Moon never shies away from its musical theater context. The film is clearly very proud of the industry it’s depicting, and that’s something that will resonate very strongly with fans. As many reviews have pointed out, this isn’t “inside baseball” for musical theater, but it’s not ashamed to revel in the magic of musicals either.

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It’s Filled With Incredible Performances

Linklater’s direction is fantastic, and Kaplow’s screenplay is filled with heart, but the real magic of Blue Moon is the central performances. This is one of Ethan Hawke’s boldest, most transformative roles ever, and he’s reinforced by a hugely talented ensemble who all manage to bring the script to life with such undeniable charm.

While it’s Hawke’s leading turn as Lorenz Hart that stands out the most, Margaret Qualley and Andrew Scott deserve equal praise for their supporting roles as Elizabeth Weiland and Richard Rogers, respectively. They bring out completely different sides of Hart’s character throughout the story, serving as crucial plot devices that the story couldn’t work without.

Hawke consistently gives brilliant performances, to the extent that it’s easy to take it for granted when he delivers work as poignant and audacious as Blue Moon. It also doesn’t help that he’ll be competing against himself at the box office this week, with his work in Black Phone 2 hopefully not overshadowing this masterful performance.

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It Could Be A Surprise Oscars Contender

Although Blue Moon faces some very tough compeтιтion at the box office this weekend, there’s a very real possibility that it could emerge from the rubble as a major Oscars contender. The reactions from its time on the festival circuit have been consistently strong, and there’s no reason to believe this will be any less true for general audiences.

It’s no secret that the Academy loves historical biopics like Blue Moon, and Linklater already has a pretty strong track record at the Oscars that gives him an important foot in the door. Most of the major Oscar contenders have already been screened, but there’s still room for a major shake-up if the right project comes along.

Blue Moon probably doesn’t have the momentum to get into the Best Picture lineup at this stage, but there’s still every possibility that Hawke could sneak his way into Best Actor. Scott even won the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance at Berlin, so audiences shouldn’t discount his chances too quickly, either.