Bouncing back from the disaster that was The Cloverfield Paradox, director Julius Onah returned to more small-scale roots with his follow-up Luce, and it became one of the most acclaimed films from Sundance. Set to be released this August by Neon, the drama follows Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tim Roth, Naomi Watts, and Octavia Spencer as a psychological game of dangerous stereotypes play out in a high school. Ahead of the release, the first trailer has now arrived, featuring a quote from our review.
Jake Howell said in our Sundance review, “With its deconstruction of stereotypes and how people of color are set up to fail (a similar dissection of racial expectations burns in fellow Sundance stunner Native Son), this film, ultimately, is a major work of contemporary American cinema: complex, beguiling, and full of meaty discussion points that will challenge audiences throughout 2019 and beyond.”
See the trailer below.
An all-star high school athlete and accomplished debater, Luce (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) is a poster boy for the new American Dream. As are his parents (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth), who adopted him from a war-torn country a decade earlier. When Luce’s teacher (Octavia Spencer) makes a shocking discovery in his locker, Luce’s stellar reputation is called into question. But is he really at fault, or is Ms. Wilson preying on dangerous stereotypes?
Luce opens on August 2.