Director Julius Onah (The Girl Is in Trouble, The Cloverfield Paradox) brought his new film Luce to Sundance earlier this year where it was a nominee for the Grand Jury Prize. Now, the film's first trailer brings the psychological thriller to the masses ahead of its theatrical release this August through Neon and Topic. This is one film where it might be best to go in cold, but the first trailer is certainly a well-crafted teaser and I'm intrigued.

Luce is a feature adaptation of the play by J.C. Lee, who also co-wrote the screenplay along with Onah. Assuming the movie plays out like the stage play did, audiences should expect somewhat of a non-traditional story in that you might not walk away entirely sure of what's true and what's just a part of a character's manipulative intent. The New York Times' review of the play in 2013 never settled on a solid interpretation of the story and left the ultimate critical reaction up to the viewer. Time will tell if Lee and Onah changed anything in the script in the transition from stage to screen.

Starring Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth, and Kelvin Harrison Jr., with Norbert Leo Butz and Andrea Bang, Luce arrives in theaters on August 2nd.

Watch the first trailer for Luce below:

Certain to be one of the most talked-about films of the year, LUCE is a smart psychological thriller that will leave audiences breathless. In Theaters August 2, 2019. #LUCE

Here's the official synopsis for Luce:

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.

Be sure to check out our previous coverage of Luce provided at the following links:

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