Luce Parent Guide

Luce (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) grew up in Eritrea, was forced to fight as a child soldier, and faced a violent, hopeless future. However, when he was adopted by Amy (Naomi Watts) and Peter (Tim Roth), they brought him to the United States and arranged for him to get the help he needed to recover from his past trauma. All of Luce’s progress seems to crumble, though, when a teacher (Octavia Spencer) raises concerns over violent comments in a term paper and some illegal fireworks she found in his locker. Suddenly, Luce is up to his neck in trouble, including allegations of threatening teachers, acts of vandalism, and even rumors of rape.

This film is nuanced and complex - character motivations are often not explicit, and shift over time. It’s difficult to parse out who you want to cheer for in the whole mess, as sooner or later every character is drawn into the web of lies and half-truths which spreads around Luce. That may sound like a bad thing, but it isn’t: the film just requires you to think for the entire runtime.

Luce and his parents have a fascinating dynamic, which gradually changes over the course of the movie; so gradually you don’t necessarily notice all the turns. This is only possible with excellent writing and talented actors: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Naomi Watts, and Tim Roth all shine in this world of shifting relationships. Octavia Spencer, meanwhile, holds down the other end of the film - the dangerous ambiguity around which characters should be trusted and which are pursuing darker ends.

Luce has a significant number of content issues, which make it unsuitable for underage viewing. Teenage sex and drug use are probably the top of that pyramid for most people, but the frequent profanity and brief adult nudity aren’t going to win any parents over either. None of the sex or drug use are glamorized or encouraged, and in fact, most are subtly discouraged.

But adult viewers with a taste for complexity and real-life writing might want to give this production a look. Despite the content concerns (and in some cases, because of them) Luce presents a highly compelling picture of a young man who, on the surface, has every advantage, but struggles with the expectations he feels closing around him. The story is raw and vulnerable in a way that you don’t often see in Hollywood. It also has expectations that the audience will be thoughtful, critical, and attentive, so this isn’t the film for you if you’re looking for a fun summer popcorn movie.