Julius Onahwill kick offMarvel Studios’return to theaters this February whenCaptain America: Brave New Worldpremieres.Brave New Worldis notable for multiple reasons: It’s the firstCaptain Americafilm whereAnthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson takes center stage; it featuresHarrison Ford’s introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s meant to be a political thriller in the same vein asCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. Onah’s no stranger to playing in a genre sandbox, thanks toThe Cloverfield Paradox, but there’s another film he directed that could inform howBrave New Worldturns out:Luce.
‘Luce’ Chronicles an Escalation of Psychological Warfare
Lucegreatly emphasizes how its titular protagonist, Luce Edgar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), is by all accounts a model student. He had a great upbringing thanks to his adoptive parents Amy (Naomi Watts) and Peter (Tim Roth). He’s an exceptional athlete as well as polite and well-spoken. But things take a major turn when Luce’s teacher Harriet Wilson (Octavia Spencer) contacts Amy about a paper he wrote thatadvocates for “necessary violence” in the face of certain situations.Harriet believes that Luce may be planning something, which only escalates when fireworks are found in his locker…and from there,a series of events leads Amy and Peter to question if they really know Luce.Lucecaptivated criticswhen it premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and also scooped up a solid$2 million box office gross. A large part of that success is due to the combo of Onah, co-writerJ.C. Lee,and Harrison Jr.
Kelvin Harrison Jr.’s Performance in ‘Luce’ Is What Makes It Work
Luceboastsone of the most magnetic casts of an indie film,as each performer brings their A-game to the table. Spencer projects a quiet but unmistakable authority, while Watts sells the horror of a mother who doesn’t really know her son.But it’s Harrison who is the standout, and that’s because the audience never knows what they’re going to get with Luce. In one scene, he’ll angrily confront someone over the pressure being put on him,but the next he’ll feign innocence whenever he’s called outon his actions. A great moment comes toward the end of the film, whenLuce gives a massive speech about how lucky he feels to be in Americaand the meaning of his name: “When I first met my mother, she couldn’t pronounce my name. My father suggested that they rename me. They picked Luce, which means light.” But afterwards, while running, his face slowly morphs into a burning glare—representing the resentment he holds towards others.
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“What is an abyss, and if you stare into it, why?”
It’s that conflict that led Onah and Lee to makeLuce, as Onah freely admitted thathis own upbringing shaped the film. “There were days I was a Nigerian kid, days when I was an African-American, days when I was an immigrant,“he toldThrillist. Lee also discussed howthe conflict between Luce and Harriet is a generational onethat deals with the expectations that are placed upon Black people in America: “Luce has this notion about how he ought to be able to operate in the world… [while Harriet] believes Luce shouldknow and understand the systems of oppression in placethat will confront him and come down on him.“Lucealso works becauseit deals in shades of grey; there’s no real villain or hero, and it sits with the viewers long after the credits roll.
‘Luce’ and ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Look To Share a Common Theme
LuceandCaptain America: Brave New Worldare two different films; one is an indie thriller, and the other is an installment in a massive superhero franchise that also features a Red Hulk. But prior toBrave New World’s production, Onah noted that the filmwould deal with Sam taking up a leadership position,which shifts his position in the superhero hierarchy:
“That’s going to be a new set of challenges for him, and in this story, a big part of his journey is, how do you define that leadership? That’s the thing he hasn’t had to deal with just yet. As the Falcon, he was always there supporting the rest of the team, but now he’s the man leading the team, and I think that’s going to be a really exciting journey to go on with him.”
Indeed, that leadership will be tested—both byFord’s Thaddeus Ross asking Sam to re-form the Avengersand the threat of the Leader (Tim Blake Nelson). Compared with the more grounded approach (well, as grounded as you can get when there’s a Hulk in your movie) and political themes,Onah looks like he’ll be bringing some of the thought-provoking themesthat madeLucea phenomenal watch to the MCU.
Luceis available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
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