Playing with audience expectations has long been a strong tool used for tales that dive beyond the surface. Some filmmakers have been able to craft deeply intriguing storylines by intentionally avoiding the answers to certain questions, slowly feeding the audience segments of the truth. Co-written and directed by Julius Onah, Luce is a film that utilises a modern societal backdrop to deliver an expertly crafted, character-focused narrative.

After their son writes an atypically disturbing essay, Amy and Peter Edgar are forced to re-assess the image of their seemingly “perfect” teenager. The titular character is played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., with Naomi Watts and Tim Roth as the aforementioned parents, and Octavia Spencer as a teacher intent on solving the complex puzzle. The cast is rounded out by Stephanie Kim, Dan Towson and Rosemary Wilson.

This is a movie that wants to keep the audience second-guessing every action made. It wants us to feel like we are consistently being betrayed because of how we viewed certain scenarios earlier on. In truth, it is able to do all this very successfully as the individuals in this picture are far more layered than what they appear to be. This is all thanks to the incredibly strong script that sets up elements early on and wonderfully pays them off later. Moreover, the threads that are left untethered are done so intentionally, leaving much to interpretation. Not everything is made clear, allowing us to reach our own conclusions in many regards. The creators have trusted the viewer’s intelligence as the movie confidently conveys the tale it is trying to tell. With all this in mind, it is doubtful that this high quality would have been reached without the astounding performances.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. is utterly mesmerising as the titular lead. His path to the films conclusion is paved with a mysterious nuance that keeps you wondering the true intentions. Black and white displays of choice are thankfully discarded as Luce’s entire persona is made up of qualities that some will see as good and others will see as bad, with the rest left still deciding as the credits roll. Flanked by the star-studded cast mentioned above, Harrison Jr. still stands out with his breakthrough portrayal.

A filmmaking masterclass, the script and direction of this movie acts as an exquisite chain reaction of success. The screenplay by Julius Onah and JC Lee is the confident blueprint for the architecture that Onah builds from it. Accompanied by an evocative score (Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury) and striking Cinematography (Larkin Seiple), there is little doubt that the crew assembled for this picture are permeating with true talent.

Made with an incredibly timely intention, Luce uses its tenacious narrative to present an enthralling character-centric mystery. With the unfortunate truth that the film will be overlooked by many, those that do witness it will realise it is of unmistakably high quality. Truly one of 2019’s best, this is a story that deserves to be seen.