Luce

Written & Directed by: Julius Onah, Cast: Naomi Watts, Octavia Spenser, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Tim Roth. 109 mins., R (language, sex and drugs)

Certain to be one of the most talked-about films of the year, LUCE is a smart psychological thriller that will leave audiences breathless. It’s been ten years since Amy and Peter Edgar (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth) adopted their son from war-torn Eritrea, and they thought the worst was behind them. Luce Edgar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) has become an all-star student beloved by his community in Arlington, Virginia. His African American teacher, Harriet Wilson (Octavia Spencer), believes he is a symbol of black excellence that sets a positive example for his peers. But when he is assigned to write an essay in the voice of a historical twentieth-century figure, Luce turns in a paper that makes an alarming statement about political violence. Worried about how this assignment reflects upon her star pupil, Harriet searches his locker and finds something that confirms her worst fears. “This provocation about race, privilege and the expectations that come with both features a star-in-the-making Kelvin Harrison Jr. and adds up to some kind of wallop-packing miracle.” —Peter Travers, Rolling Stone.