“Luce” was a very fascinating film. It is a mind-bending psychological thriller about a ‘good kid,’ Luce, captain of the track team, leader in the debate club, but he has a horrific past as a refugee and orphan from the war-torn country of Eritrea.
The film was directed by Julius Onah, J.C. Lee and Onah were both credited as screenwriters, and the film had an all-star cast including: Octavia Spencer, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Norbert Leo Butz and others.
The reason why I say it was a “mind-bending” thriller was the little coincidences that occurred but couldn’t be proven over and over. Onah does a masterful job in building suspense and casting doubt so that as a viewer you are left on the edge of your seat. Each scenes builds and builds as more people become complicit and make excuses and look the other way.
Some of the themes covered in the film include: what are your responsibilities as a parent, what do you do if things don’t turn out the way you hoped or expected them to turn out, and what would you do to protect someone you loved. There were lots of interesting questions that the film addresses.
For a limited time, “Luce” is free to rent on various rental sites including:
Poems for Warriors 