Luce

Neon | Release Date: August 2, 2019

7.2	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 44 Ratings

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franceshaSep 7, 2019

The most important American film of the decade. Run to see it, it will shake you to the core

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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Bertaut1Nov 19, 2019

A slightly repetitive, but nonetheless fascinating societal drama that rewards concentration

Adapted from the play of the same name by J.C. Lee, Luce was written for the screen by Lee and Julius Onah, and directed by Onah. Tackling allA slightly repetitive, but nonetheless fascinating societal drama that rewards concentration

Adapted from the play of the same name by J.C. Lee, Luce was written for the screen by Lee and Julius Onah, and directed by Onah. Tackling all manner of issues, including race, class, gender, power, privilege, #MeToo, academic achievement, liberal elitism, revolutionary rhetoric, the importance of language in encoding societal/political power structures, it also works as a thriller about a young man who may, or may not, be a dangerous sociopath posing as the embodiment of the American Dream. Without question, it asks a lot of the audience, and it's by no means perfect, but, by and large, this is strong work.

In Arlington, VA, 17-year-old Luce Edgar (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) is the adopted son of Peter (Tim Roth) and Amy (Naomi Watts). Born in Eritrea, Luce spent the first seven years of his life as a child soldier. However, with the love of his adopted parents and a lot of therapy, he has grown into an exceptional young man; all-star athlete, captain of the debating team, all-round honour student. However, when his history teacher Harriet Wilson (Octavia Spencer) gives an assignment to write from the perspective of a revolutionary, Luce chooses Frantz Fanon, the Pan-Africanist writer who argued that colonialism could only be defeated by violence. Disturbed by Luce's apparent endorsement of Fanon's theories, Wilson searches his locker without his permission, finding powerful fireworks, and so sets out to convince the Edgars that their son may be dangerous.

In a film which takes in countless themes, one of the most prevalent is race, especially the notion of differences in black identity – both Wilson and Luce are black, but Luce is also an immigrant with a vastly different frame of socio-political reference. He is an immigrant, whilst she is a child of the 60s, with direct experience of the Civil Rights Movement. However, perhaps because of this, she subscribes to respectability politics, seeing all black people as sharing a common bond. Luce disagrees, arguing there's no such thing as a monolithic black identity, and refusing to conform to Wilson's conception of what a successful black student should be. To conform to preconceived and idealised notions would be to define himself on other peoples' terms.

And, of course, it's important not to forget that amidst all the ideological differences between Luce and Wilson, their initial conflict is a more tangible one – after writing a paper about violence, he's profiled in a way that a white student would not be. The fact that Wilson herself is black is irrelevant to this – she reads what he says about violence and she assumes he shares Fanon's sentiments, and hence could very well be dangerous.

One of the things the film does especially well is toy with audience expectations. Wilson, like much of society, seems to think of Luce in binary terms – he's either a bastion of what's possible in the land of dreams or he's violent and dangerous. Cinema audiences too are conditioned to think in such binaries – we want ambiguous characters such as Luce to ultimately be revealed as one thing or the other. However, Onah delights in complicating things at every turn – when a grinning Luce mentions fireworks to Wilson, is he threatening her or is it an innocent reference to the Fourth of July; when an amiable Luce meets Wilson and her drug-addict sister Rosemary (a stunning performance by Marsha Stephanie Blake) in a supermarket, is it a coincidence or did he follow them?

In terms of problems, the audience has to do a lot of the leg work, and it's something which will be immediately distasteful to some, especially those who demand rigid binaries and clear explanations from their narratives. Personally, I loved the inherent ambiguity, but I understand that some won't. The same is true of many of the themes, which tend to be raised in something of a phenomenological vacuum, exiting almost as hypotheticals rather than prescribed answers, and again asking the audience to connect some of the dots. The film also runs too long, with much of the dramatic tension slackening in the last act. It's also prone to repetition, and it features a few too many issues, several of which are taken virtually nowhere. A subplot involving a possible sexual assault at a party, for example, pays lip-service to #MeToo but does very little beyond that.

Nevertheless, I was impressed with Luce. What it says about the US's (in)ability to engage in meaningful dialogue regarding important socio-political topics isn't flattering, but it is compelling. Essentially a film about pressure, as exerted by parents, by schools, by teachers, by friends, by society, by oneself, it's at least partly an exposé on the bitter divisions inherent in Trump's America. It does spread itself a little thin and the ambiguity won't be to everyone's taste, but this is brave filmmaking with a lot on its mind.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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GinaKAug 21, 2019

Luce is a riveting mystery with a wonderful cast that keeps you guessing right to the end. Even though it is set in a high school (not my favorite), some of the characters are extraneous, and occasionally the film tries a bit too hard to beLuce is a riveting mystery with a wonderful cast that keeps you guessing right to the end. Even though it is set in a high school (not my favorite), some of the characters are extraneous, and occasionally the film tries a bit too hard to be “relevant,” the film kept me interested from beginning to end – and the acting (especially Naomi Watts and Octavia Spencer) was excellent. And it is a bit too long. That said, I was never bored and the details and plot kept me guessing from beginning to end.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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Brent_MarchantAug 11, 2019

A riveting psychological thriller filled with endless twists and turns that leaves audiences guessing right up until the very end. What's more important, though, is that the film forces us to face some incendiary questions about race,A riveting psychological thriller filled with endless twists and turns that leaves audiences guessing right up until the very end. What's more important, though, is that the film forces us to face some incendiary questions about race, redemption, privacy, trust, perception and prejudice, all the while showing us that things may not be as simple or clear cut as they seem. The picture's superb script, fine film editing and excellent ensemble cast (most notably Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts and Kelvin Harrison Jr.) make for one of the best offerings of 2019, a release that sincerely deserves serious consideration come awards season.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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katezoeNov 13, 2019

Trump’s toxic America, has turned race, privilege, and class into incendiary topics while amplifying intolerance. The powerfully constructed “Luce,” mixes all these socio-political subjects into a provocative Molotov cocktail that shatters,Trump’s toxic America, has turned race, privilege, and class into incendiary topics while amplifying intolerance. The powerfully constructed “Luce,” mixes all these socio-political subjects into a provocative Molotov cocktail that shatters, burns and leaves no easy answers.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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PurpleCrayon4UOct 24, 2019

EVERYTHING HAS A HIDDEN MEANING .. Everyone has a hidden agenda. The characters portrayed are not who they appear to be. LUCE is a good film, worthy of your time. LUCE is not OSCAR material under any category, but the performances are aboveEVERYTHING HAS A HIDDEN MEANING .. Everyone has a hidden agenda. The characters portrayed are not who they appear to be. LUCE is a good film, worthy of your time. LUCE is not OSCAR material under any category, but the performances are above average. At the conclusion of LUCE, you will understand that EVERYONE LIES and EVERYTHING IS A LIE.… Expand

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ganonymousNov 16, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It was pretty entertaining to watch the the tug of war between Luce and his teacher. His teacher didn't seem to like Luce because he came from a white privileged family and he was good student good at alot of things around school. And i think she wished she had this kind of lifestyle when she was in school but she wasn't so lucky. So she decides to try to sabotage Luce's picture perfect image by doing things to uncover some not so nice things that Luce did that he wanted to keep private. And Luce starts to notice this and starts to aggravated with his teacher and starts to find out things about her life and starts to bring the to the light as well. Then the tug of war begins. And Luce eventually comes away the victor. Especially when his teacher's mentally ill sister has mental breakdown for the school to see. And usually say certain graphic scenes aren't needed in most movies i review but feel this was one was because it's when the storyline start to shift and became more intense. And i have to give credit to the actress for shooting a scene like that because know it most have been tough especially being around such great actors actresses on this movie. But she did good job and gave the emotion that that difficult scene need she a good actress i like alot of movies she is in. But Luce became the victor when his teacher was removed from the school. But Luce is still not as perfect as his image portrays. So that why was wondering what the message of the movie was supposed to be. But it still was a pretty good movie… Expand

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aydge89Nov 1, 2019

A real shame this one has flown under the radar. It's a great script and well acted. Very thought provoking. This is a movie that embraces the ambiguities and complexities of 2019 and doesn't offer easy answers. Easily the best movie of 2019 so far.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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DeanomiteJan 10, 2020

This was a great movie. What struck me most is that how people act is connected to how they are treated, especially in the context of defending themselves. Trust is hard to come by and more rare all the time. What value is family when theyThis was a great movie. What struck me most is that how people act is connected to how they are treated, especially in the context of defending themselves. Trust is hard to come by and more rare all the time. What value is family when they turn against themselves at the first opportunity? I have read that family is not really based on trust and loyalty but on a hierarchy of mutual deceit, a Machiavellian structure in synecdoche of the larger society. That is a subject that could be interesting, a sort of film noir based on family dynamics, in the spirit of Brick.… Expand

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JLuis_001Sep 2, 2019

No gadgets, no ornaments of any kind. A really solid drama driven entirely by the good story and the good work of its actors. I was actually quite surprised.

It gets lost a little towards the end and the ending doesn't close tightly butNo gadgets, no ornaments of any kind. A really solid drama driven entirely by the good story and the good work of its actors. I was actually quite surprised.

It gets lost a little towards the end and the ending doesn't close tightly but still kept me totally focused and I did enjoyed it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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moaltaAug 29, 2019

Incredible writing and acting. Most thought-provoking movie I have seen in the last year.

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