Luce

Luce is a 2019 film directed by Julius Onah that is remarkable for its unpredictability and its ambiguity. The audience is asked to make up its own mind about events that take place in the film--is the main character responsible for them?

Luce Edgar is a senior in high school and the perfect kid, so it seems. He was adopted by a white liberal couple after growing up in war-torn Africa. But he is now the brightest kid in school, a star on the track and debate teams. He is articulate and a bit too familiar with the teachers and his parents, whom he calls by their first names.

A teacher (Octavia Spencer) is alarmed by a paper he has written espousing support for violent revolution, and she has found fireworks in his locker. Spencer brings this to his mother's (Naomi Watts) attention, but she is so troubled by the invasion of privacy that she simply hides the contraband. Her husband (Tim Roth) is a bit more pragmatic, and accuses Luce of lying.

There is also a female student, Luce's former girlfriend, who has been sexually assaulted, but does not come forward. A suspicion is cast over Luce--did he participate in the assault? Did he plant fireworks in Spencer's locker, or write graffiti on her house?

I appreciated that I couldn't tell what was going to happen next, which is a common flaw in most movies made today. This one is challenging at every turn. That Spencer is a black woman, who seems to have it in for Luce, adds an extra layer of ambiguity. The characters struggle to avoid stereotyping, but it does put Luce in a box, where he is expected to be perfect.

All the actors do wonderful work, particularly Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Luce. He portrays a kid who has a lot expected of him, but has some demons still to exorcise. Luce is a fine film that provokes many arguments.