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Luce

6.6

/10

16146 people rated

2019•1 h 49 m•United States

A married couple is forced to reckon with their idealized image of their son, adopted from war-torn Eritrea, after an alarming discovery by a devoted high school teacher threatens his status as an all-star student.

Drama

Mystery

Thriller

Cast (18)

Octavia Spencer

Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Norbert Leo Butz

Marsha Stephanie Blake

Omar Shariff Brunson Jr.

Christopher Mann

Meredith Holzman

Liza J. Bennett

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User Reviews

melaniamanjate

24/07/2025 07:30

This film had me gripped, I loved it at first, saw a lot of potential in it! But i was left with so many unanswered question's, plot holes and motives. This would be a good film for a first episode to a series! But not as a film. The plot build up is extremely slow yet the ending is no different. Not worthy of the word 'film' but a good plot and amazing acting! Too many unanswered questions though.

Josephina🇳🇦

29/05/2023 13:40

source: Luce

Abimael_Adu

23/05/2023 06:27

Good actors, but uninteresting story. Luckily was watching it on 1.2x reproduction speed, so only like 90ish minutes of my life had been wasted in watching it.

Skib

23/05/2023 06:27

It's rare that a watch a movie that has me on the edge of my seat with my heart pumping. Unlike most action movies (which I love), this movie grabs you with its authenticity. It didnt feel like I was watching a movie, it felt like I was watching the life of Luce and the people around him. And that's a testament not only to the superb writing and directing, but the performances of the actors involved with this film. Now I wont be surprised if this film gets ignored by the Academy, but it certainly doesn't need them to validate its brilliance.

Kwesta

23/05/2023 06:27

Outstanding score - it goes to show you how easily it can make or break a film. Casting and performances were great. Cinematography and directing were decent, but the writing/screenplay was unnecessarily convoluted and underwhelming in trying to create mystery and suspense, but instead presented a half-baked misfire of a plot. The slow pacing and choppy plot made the 109 min run-time feel like 3 hours. Luce missed a huge opportunity to be something great had it had more substance than filler. It's a very generous 6/10 from me.

Lalita Chou

23/05/2023 06:27

This movie is a waste of time and money. The trailer portrays it as a "thriller" but the bottom line is it never goes anywhere. Slow moving, not a thriller and leaves you wondering what the point of the movie is. They try to use music as some sort of scary effect when there is no scene to match it. So disappointing

Jãyïshå Dëñzélïãh292

23/05/2023 06:27

Hmmm....a lot of reviews on here but none mentioning "the Santa Claus game" a very offputting plot element where one of the characters makes up a stupid lie about how they were drugged and molested at a party by all the boys where they forced the girl to sit on their lap (like they were Santa) and molest her until they have enough then eating her a ranking between 1 and 3, representing Santa's signature laugh "Ho Ho Ho". It then turns out that this story wasn't even true, it was fabricated by the main characters to get the teacher fired. How stupid. The girl who makes up the story even says something related to the Santa Claus game as not even being the worst thing that these high school boys do. What on earth?!? Maybe or maybe not that's not the worst thing the boys do but it feels completely wrong for this type of movie to spin so far off the rails into sexual-allegation-palooza, not even (or more than, depending on how you want to look at it) halfway through the movie when the movie didn't seem to be about that at all. This compounded with a bad plot to begin with I wouldn't waste any amount of time on this movie.

mekdiyee

23/05/2023 06:27

Held me long enough to stay until the end, and just massively let down once I got there. Some good themes and ideas the non existent pay off and all the non answers left me feeling underwhelmed and a little annoyed. I found myself constantly waiting for answers to find out the film for the most part just wants you to come up with your own answers and fill in the blanks of which there are a LOT. I'm glad I did not pay to get see luce I most definitely would have wanted my money back. Some really good performances but that was the only reason this didnt get a one star.

Pascale Fleur

23/05/2023 06:27

In the debates that take place within Luce, an ethical dilemma is raised about the treatment of minors by figures in authority. Is it proper for a teacher to search a student's locker, then accuse him of stashing illegal fireworks when the locker is being shared with others? Is it proper for a parent to snoop on a minor to the degree that she is following the youngster in his various movements and looking through a window like a peeping tom? In the portrayal of the complex character named Luce (meaning "light"), a young boy was adopted from war-torn Eritrea and raised by loving parents in America. The child is taken through years of therapy and comes out a brilliant student, who is also a skilled debater. As we follow the action, it is unclear if Luce is a bringer of light to Northern Virginia High School? Or, is he like Lucifer as a bringer of light that results in original sin? Luce is a fascinating, charismatic figure. But, to some, he also may seem a little scary. The major debates that unfold are between Luce and his history teacher, Ms. Wilson. It becomes clear that the instructor has an agenda when it comes playing favorites with her students. Luce is troubled that his friend DeShaun has been kicked off of the track team and has lost a scholarship, due to the actions of the "stern" Ms. Wilson. Luce vows to set things right. Will he be the avenging angel who saves the dignity of his friend? Or, will he be the fallen angel who has defied the ethical standards of a beloved mentor? The focus of the filmmakers is on the traditional way of using our enormous freedoms to work the system for social, economic, or personal advancement. In this regard, Luce is a hustler who has brilliantly used his intellect and his charisma to achieve his ends. Luce has curried favor with the school principal, Dan Towson, thereby having at his command a powerful ally at the most crucial moment in his high school career. An intriguing question to raise after viewing the film is as follows: Does Luce actually do anything wrong in the film? The most serious allegation against him is that he assaulted Stephanie. But the closing scene that shows the couple together in a shack in the forest demonstrates that, at the behest of Luce, Stephanie made up a fictional story that she told to Ms. Wilson. There is no eyewitness to suggest that Luce set fire to Ms. Wilson's office or that he defaced the door of her home with graffiti. He may not have been entirely honest with his parents. But, from Luce's point of view, he was on a mission for a friend and would stop at nothing to fulfill a promise. In the closing moments of the film, Luce's adoptive mother Amy assures her son that his future is entirely in his hands. But, wise beyond his years, Luce has already understood that concept for a long, long time.

Faizan Ansari

23/05/2023 06:27

How is it the teacher is the only person that picks up the fact that Luce is a head to toe sociopath and does something about it? There are simply too many plot holes or loose ends here. Acting is nonetheless quite decent. Kudos to Octavia. It is definitely worth a watch even though just for how these characters have been convincingly portrayed in an unconvincing story.