Agusti Villaronga’s 1989 film, Moon Child, has finally been released on Blu-ray by Cult Epics.

This adult fairy tale tells the story of a young man named David, who is taken to a special orphanage that is populated with children and adults who possess extraordinary powers. From the moment the film opens, David is aware that he is gifted, and that his gifts may come from far beyond space and time. An older woman continually tells David that he is a child of the moon, and that he will reach his destiny soon enough. David believes this with all of his heart. When the leaders of the occult orphanage reveal their insidious plans for two of the adult students – that will no doubt end in murder – David aides them in their escape. The three of them embark on a perilous journey, as David feels his powers becoming stronger. All of this leads to a poetic and tragic ending, one that will be hard to shake once the credits have rolled.

Agusti Villaronga has a long-lost gem on his hands with Moon Child. It is much lighter than his pitch dark debut, the terrifying In a Glass Cage. However, it is not without its own unique power to disturb. Based on a novel by Aleister Crowley, Moon Child does not shy away from the evils of the world, but there is a grace within that was all but absent in In a Glass Cage. Villaronga directs with confidence, utilizing a beautiful score and gorgeous cinematography to craft this work of art. The performances are uniformly incredible. I’d love to see more of this director’s work.

Moon Child proves itself to be a worthy addition to any serious cinephile’s collection.