DVD Review: Luce

By John Corrado

There has been a lot of talk about the racially charged drama Luce since it premiered at Sundance at the beginning of the year, and it’s now available on DVD as of today. The film follows a high school student named Luce (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), an Eritrean immigrant who is the adoptive son of a white couple (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth).

Luce ends up locked in a game of cat and mouse with his teacher (Octavia Spencer) after writing an essay that leads her to believe he has extremist leanings. I personally found the film to feel a bit too heavy-handed and melodramatic, but it’s carried by strong performances, and does open up a lot of conversations, making it worth a look on DVD for curious viewers. For more on the film itself, you can read my full review right here.

The DVD also includes an interview with actresses Spencer and Watts in which they talk about their characters and the film’s themes of power and privilege, as well as a commentary track featuring director Julius Onah. A digital copy is also included in the package.

Luce is an Elevation Pictures release. It’s 109 and rated 14A.

Street Date: October 29th, 2019