• Beyond the Lights (2014)

    Though she's been groomed for stardom all her life by an overbearing mother (Minnie Driver), singer Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is having trouble dealing with her success. Feeling unable to cope any longer, Noni tries to kill herself, but luckily Kaz (Nate Parker), the police officer assigned to be her bodyguard, thwarts her suicide attempt. Noni and Kaz feel an instant attraction, but those in their orbit oppose the romance for fear the pair will stray from the course planned out for both of them.

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Beyond the Lights
73
metacriticBased on 25 Critics
67
Based on 49 Users

Release Date: November 14th, 2014

DVD Release Date: February 24th, 2015

PG-13 |1 hr 56 min

Plot Summary

Though she's been groomed for stardom all her life by an overbearing mother (Minnie Driver), singer Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is having trouble dealing with her success. Feeling unable to cope any longer, Noni tries to kill herself, but luckily Kaz (Nate Parker), the police officer assigned to be her bodyguard, thwarts her suicide attempt. Noni and Kaz feel an instant attraction, but those in their orbit oppose the romance for fear the pair will stray from the course planned out for both of them.

Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver, Danny Glover, Machine Gun Kelly , Darryl Stephens, Elaine Tan, Isaac Keys

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Genres: Romance , Drama

Production Co: Homegrown Pictures, Undisputed Cinema

Distributors: Relativity Media

Keywords: Love , Sacrifice , Creative , Brooding , Mother , Quest , 2010s , Intense , Temptation ,

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Cast & Crew

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Ratings & Reviews

  • 70
    David RooneyThe Hollywood Reporter

    Gina Prince-Bythewood’s entertaining music-biz melodrama is no less satisfying for the familiarity of its soapy trajectory. show more

  • 100
    Odie HendersonRogerEbert.com

    Beyond the Lights makes unapologetically damning statements about the music industry’s treatment of women, yet it never feels preachy. It strikes a risky, though successful balancing act between being immensely entertaining as a musical feature and making dramatic, important statements about depression, self-worth and female empowerment. show more

  • 75
    Peter TraversRolling Stone

    There's enough plot here to sink a soap opera, but the actors prevail. Parker is a no-bull charmer. Driver leaves bite marks on her juicy role. And Mbatha-Raw, so good this year in "Belle", is dynamite. show more

See all critic reviews on metacritic.com

Awards

Nominated Music (Original Song)
Oscars Academy Awards (2014)