Certain to be one of the most talked-about films of the year, Luce is a smart psychological thriller that will leave audiences breathless.
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?
Stacked with amazing performances and adapted from JC Lee’s acclaimed play, director Julius Onah has created an intense, multi-layered and deeply entertaining look at identity in today’s America.
Filmmaker Biographies
JULIUS ONAH, Writer/Director/Producer
Julius Onah is a Nigerian American filmmaker based in New York City. His work has screened at festivals around the world including Sundance, Berlin, London, Dubai, Los Angeles, Melbourne and Camerimage. He’s currently exploring storytelling around the world through his multimedia project Open Continents.
JC LEE, WRITER, Executive Producer
JC writes for theatre, film, and television. Recent plays include Relevance (MCC, NYC), Warplay (New Conservatory Theatre Center, SF) and Luce (Lincoln Center Theatre, NYC). He’s received commissions and fellowships from the Old Globe, South Coast Repertory, Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage, and the Playwright’s Realm.
His television credits include ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder, and both Looking and Girls on HBO. He’s currently working on Apple’s new Untitled Morning Show with Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, the film adaptation of The Nutcracker for Warner Brothers and a pilot based on the life of Mistress Trinity, a professional dominatrix, for FX. His play What You Are will receive its World Premiere in June of 2019 at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego.
JC is a graduate of Bloomsburg University and The Juilliard School.
Press
"[A]n engrossing weave of suburban drama and sociopolitical whodunit." - Los Angeles Times
"To say that it unfolds like a play is both accurate and undersells how gorgeously it has been rendered for the screen." - New York Times
"A smart and sophisticated inquiry into race and class." - indieWire
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