My interest in this movie started when I first saw the trailer on Facebook. I watched it muted because I didn’t want to be rude, playing the sound in a public place. Watch any trailer muted, and its visuals are stronger than when it has sound. I saw a movie that I wanted to see.

The situation in the story is an interesting one because we have the appearance of a perfect student named Luce, played by Kelvin Harrison, Jr. His teacher, Harriet Wilson, played by Octavia Spencer, suspects him to be violent.

Co-written and directed by Julius Onah, Luce is a smart psychological thriller and adapted from JC Lee’s play of the same name. Lee co-wrote the screenplay with Onah.

Onah talked about collaborating with Lee on the screenplay, “Despite how different we are on some levels, we have a similar sensibility when it comes to storytelling and the way we want to explore ideas and issues. Neither of us want to tell stories that are prescriptive or didactic in how they explore complex social issues. We both want to ask people to consider their blind spots, and to recognize their experience of the world will never be identical with anyone else’s.”

An all-star high school athlete and accomplished debater, Luce is a poster boy for the new American Dream. As are his parents, played by Naomi Watts and Tim Roth, adopted him from a war-torn country a decade earlier.

When Luce’s teacher, Ms. Wilson, makes a shocking discovery in his locker, Luce’s stellar reputation comes into question. But is he really at fault or is Ms. Wilson preying on dangerous stereotypes?

Watching the trailer, Onah creates an intense, multi-layered, and entertaining look at identity in today’s America.