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 public.

I saw a movie that I wanted to see.

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

Julius Onah co-wrote and directed Luce, a smart psychological thriller adapted from JC Lee’s play of the same name. Lee also 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.