A liberal-minded couple, Amy and Peter Edgar, are forced to reconsider their image of their adopted son after they discover he has written an extremely disturbing essay for his class at school.
‘Luce’ doesn’t come out for another few weeks, yet thankfully because of my Cineworld Unlimited card I was able to see it at an early screening premier. I was really excited to see this film despite only seeing a single advert for it, mainly because of the really unique and strange feeling that the characters and storyline provided in the trailer. This continues way into the full film, and even after too - because ‘Luce’ is a really strange film and genuinely unlike any other film I’ve ever seen, it’s so creative and really by venturing into the dark and twisted underlying principles of modern-day America, it takes a big step. But the main question, is this a step too far for Luce, or does this new step help Luce to stand alone in a new territory of film? Here are my thoughts.
As you’d expect, Luce is a very strange film, which often leads us into a false sense of security as many of these films do. The start of the film allows it to do that perfectly, and by doing so allows it to play with our heads throughout the remainder. With all types of films which focus on a mystery genre, it is always key to single in on a single character in order to find out more about them, their life, relationships, likes etc. ‘Luce’ does this really well, by starting off in the school environment with Luce performing a speech we are instantly introduced to him as a well off, educated individual, the film doesn’t give too much away so far but it allows us to work out that he is a talented individual. The addition of Harriet Wilson (Octavia Spencer) glaring at him whilst he does this instantly introduces us to the sinister and scary nature of the film. I really liked how the film instantly starts off by establishing itself as a creepy and unsettling story because it helps to set the overall mood and feeling of the rest of the film. It doesn’t try too hard to emphasise that it is indeed unsettling, but it uses smaller scenes like this to unsettle us and make us feel uncomfortable. The film isn’t about introducing us to the characters in a really personal aspect, all it reveals is what we need to know in detail, for example, Luce’s background in a war-torn country, it’s important to mention but I like how the film strips all of this back and only focuses on relevant information, this really helps to keep the characters exciting and unpredictable because even though we feel like we know them fairly well, the variety of twists and turns that go on in the film, leave us having a good idea of characters traits one scene, and then losing them the next - this may sound negative but it really isn’t and it actually is one of the best parts about the characters of the film, how they are so unpredictable and creepy that they keep the film fresh and genuinely thrilling as we are kept on the edge of our seats for many of the scenes in the film. I do like how the characters are established though to give us an initial perception, Luce is really bigged up as the perfect student, he is smart, popular, friendly, sporty, he has a good family relationship and works hard, but this is especially good because this lulls us into a false sense of security, the film really cleverly takes these character perceptions that we have and twists them, which leaves us surprised when he is in trouble for the fireworks and the inappropriate assignment, whereas due to his well-timed and fast-paced scenes where he switches between innocent and slightly sinister/sarcastic language it totally throws us off and definitely makes him a really multi-dimensional and mysterious character. But it also just keeps the film exciting, as we grow these perceptions of Luce, we start to notice his lack of speech, switches in eye contact and then the positive perceptions seem to blur, I genuinely love how well this feels, the film nonstop plays with the characters and by doing so, plays with our perceptions and understandings of them, which really leaves them feeling so multidimensional and realistic that I honestly can’t say that I’ve seen character models this intriguing and immersive for a long time, the level of unpredictability and anticipation that characters leave us in is amazing, his parents, friends and Ms Wilson also follow this trend too. We constantly see random texts from friends, characters changing their stories and strange occurrences, which means that the characters, regardless of their importance in the film all have some level of excitement and mystery about them, which I think is awesome. The changes in characteristics keep the film going though after fireworks are discovered in his locker, Luce grills Ms Wilson about it subtly which feels really intense and sinister, but then he apologises and then switches back to the sinister talk, this keeps us on our toes and really keeps the film exciting and unpredictable. I do like how multidimensional the characters feel though, they are realistic and unlike similar films in the genre, it also focuses on the characters lives outside of the main ‘war zone’ seeing Ms Wilson’s clearly mentally challenged sister speaking to Luce and then next we see her shouting in the school naked not only shocks us, but it proves to actually allow us to step back and realise that Ms Wilson may be a victim after all, especially when we see racial graffiti on her home, characters in this film definitely don’t stay the same, they are always developing and changing and I really like that because it means that they are so much more realistic and exciting than the normal and typical characters which mainly stay the same, they are unpredictable and exciting here. Even subtle things like Luce calling his Mother ‘Lucy’ when they aren’t getting along, and ‘Mum’ when they are, subtly gives us messages to show how characters are doing with each other, the way they communicate feels super smart here and definitely goes beyond the typical conventions that we are used to - it requires quite a lot of attention but if you notice it then it really makes a big difference. Character models in this film feel really intelligent and because of this they feel really immersive, realistic and unpredictable which keeps them fresh and exciting throughout. It’s also really exciting and interesting because as we go through the story, Luce’s perfect image is tarnished as we and his parents find out more about him - such as how he told them he didn’t know what happened to Stephanie, whereas Stephanie says that Luce promised he wouldn’t tell anyone - constant lies from Luce where he appears sinister and then innocent is really exciting and helps to disturb the equilibrium a lot - by keeping us questioning him. Is he actually sinister or is he just wording things poorly? Who knows? But that’s part of what makes the characters so fun here. The film's characters though feel great here, all of them feel like they have a really strong role to play in the film and even though we don’t know much about them (apart from Luce) - every time we see them it always feels like we do. Not only are the characters super immersive because of how well integrated they are into the film, but they are also super exciting and unpredictable which always keeps us guessing as to what they will do next - and makes the film feel fresh. Naomi and Octavia merit Oscar nominations and great performances by newcomer Kelvin Johnson and Tim Roth. Very complex multi-layered drama crossing family, racial and gender stereotyping as well as a layer of teacher-student relationship set in challenging timeframe of adolescence. All of the actors, in fact, feel great but for me Luce (played by Kelvin Harrison Jr.) stands out the most and for good reason, not only does his character feel insanely realistic, but the way he speaks and acts with other characters just feels so immersive and really creates a great idea about modern-day society - I loved how he spoke to other characters too, politely and using compliments, by doing this he really matches the role and stereotypes superbly well and for me deserves an Oscar - because his performance here is just amazing. The characters were a very strong part of ensuring this films success and making it a great watch, but equally as important is the plot and structure.
The film feels immensely well put together like it isn’t even funny how well it flows together in terms of connecting with the audience, subtle character dialogues, and scenes really help to make this film a physiological thriller which stands out from the rest for good reason. I’ll start off with how well the story flows here, and I’ll answer it in short. Really really well! It is always changing and switching things up which you would think would make it confusing and to some extent it does, but this is where the film thrives, upon confusion and mystery surrounding the characters - the structure of the film helps support this perfectly by organising things like us not seeing who put the fireworks in Luce’s locker at the start of the film, but seeing them put in there, as well as the fireworks missing and the graffiti - a lot of things which just aren’t answered or even hinted at. These are key points in the film because they help to keep the film’s story flowing and to maintain the overall strange feeling and perception of Luce, as well as supporting us in our journey of whether Luce is a good or bad character. I also love how the film feels like one big investigation too, the way in which characters sneak around behind each other's backs (like Luce’s parents talking to Stephanie behind his back) to find out information about other characters, I like this because it essentially means that we are involved with what is going on with the characters, because we find out information when characters do, and when they are shocked and surprised we share these emotions. It’s the small things in this film which have a massive impact on the overall structure of the film, things like how the film focuses on the locker over a variety of different scenes, linking to a commonly used element in these kinds of films - Facebook stalking, these elements are really interesting because they feel like small elements but feel memorable in the storyline. It is structured really well though, I like how the film seems to provide context and information where required to keep us updated and in the loop, whereas other times the film stays a little more mysterious and secretive which means that the film has a much more mysterious and dark effect, because once again it uses the element of surprise and a false sense of security to give us enough context to make an assumption, until the film provides a twist and then leaves us in the dark – this is a really cool feature because it means that we aren’t in control during the film and that we are always second-guessing as to what we know, because it always seems to change and twist – this keeps the film exciting and fresh though throughout which I like. The actual storyline is really exciting too, it’s weird sure so it’s difficult to get to grips with because of all of the changes and twists, but the idea that we are always finding out a little bit more about characters and really delving into the ecosystem of the film as it progresses is great, and definitely leaves us questioning what we know and why things happened long after the credits have rolled. I also like the usage of the parents meeting at the end of the film too, this feels like the climax of the film because the characters discuss basically everything during the film, not only it is really fast-paced but it is also exciting too, seeing the characters delving into the various accusations and arguing helps to solidify the strange personalities of the characters and essentially raises the stakes by putting everything on the table. Even at the end of the film, it takes unpredictable and exciting twists and turns, seeing Luce and Stephanie having sex in a shed feels really unpredictable and strange, as well as the fireworks going off and this just means that there really is never a moment in the film where there isn’t something sinister or exciting going on – even if some of the scenes feel unexplainable. In summary, the film feels really well made, and that is good news for us because it means that even though there are so many twists and turns, that it is enjoyable and fairly simple to keep up with what is going on. The film also raises a great series of points about expectations and being treated depending on who you are which ensures that is has a meaning and purpose in our world too, and definitely makes you think about society and how it is structured.
The film wasn’t perfect though unfortunately, it did have a few issues which definitely caused problems and affected the overall viewing experience of the film. I didn’t like the end at all, it does make you think about the film afterwards but without even a blurry conclusion, it doesn’t feel like the film ends properly. I longed for even something small to happen for us to grip to, but the film relies so much on our perceptions that it means that there isn’t a real clear sense of consistency. There isn’t anything really to grip onto in this film, you don’t want it to finish but that’s because you want something solid to grip onto to bring a conclusion, the Joker is a great example of how this is done properly. In that, the Joker seems to visualise him having a girlfriend, however when she refers to him as “the man from down the corridor” and “why are you here” it is made kinda clear that he didn’t really have a girlfriend, that he was visualising it - which is great because it’s a mystery but it is made fairly obvious for us to make a factual opinion that they aren’t dating, whereas here the same thing is done but there isn’t that level of perception because the film keeps us more in the dark so we can’t make those connections because we don’t have the right facts or even scenes to make them which makes parts of this film a little confusing and leaves us grasping for something factual in the film, but gripping onto nothing. That was the main issue for me, even though the film gave us plenty to think about, there never really seemed to be a mystery which the film answered for us, which brings the film down because it just means that the film feels confusing. Luce missed a huge opportunity to be something great had it had more substance than filler.
Overall, I would give this film an 8. I thought in terms of how creative and fresh the plot and characters felt, this film is definitely up there with some of the best films this year – it was engaging, thought-provoking, intense and exciting but where it falls short lies in the level of confusion the film brings, nothing is confirmed and even though this is the point of the film, it just means that no one knows anything for sure, and therefore for me, makes the film feel blurry and a little confusing. Although it never really went where you expect, one minute he was acting good and then the next he was a little bit sinister which makes us feel really confused, but it does provide for some great viewing, albeit the confusion.
Thank you for reading my review, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did watching the film and writing this review, I hope you have a lovely day! If you would like to check out my Official Facebook page where you can see sneak previous and more film insights then please consider checking out the link below!
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