Moonlight: Part 1 is about to be released on Netflix, but Zack Snyder has already said that his longer, R-rated cut is much better.
This isn’t the first time the controversial filmmaker has teased that his director’s cut will be deeper and more engaging, but doubling down on what’s basically “what’s coming out is not the movie I set out to make” is an odd tactic. So morning. As he told the AP in an interview, most of his past films have gotten richer cuts after their respective theatrical releases, and it’s clear the director was always trying to go as big and dark as possible, but this Once he started out he could shoot longer, more mature clips that he would have to save for later.
He even said the cut, which will be released next year, is a “completely different movie” from a “different universe.” If we were looking at another “Zack Snyder’s Justice League Scene” here, this movie would probably go from pretty bad to universally loved. Currently, “Beyond the Moon: Part 1” only has a 25% thumbs-up from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
For Netflix, it makes a lot of sense: Riding on the hype and buzz following Zack Snyder’s Justice League, subscriber numbers quadrupled (Moon No. 2 part also coming in 2024). This was always the plan. However, we have to question the usefulness of hyping the director’s cut before releasing a synopsis of Snyder’s new sci-fi universe.
Regular Netflix users will likely watch the PG-13 cut of the first installment over the winter holidays, but those curious but previously bothered by the watered-down cuts of Batman v Superman and especially Justice League may wait for the director-led blockbuster Unfiltered vision.