Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- sincere
- wistful
- melancholic
- nostalgic movie night
- teen movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Lucas as a sincere, emotionally perceptive teen drama with strong young performances and an unusually compassionate view of adolescence.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lucas is a socially inept fourteen-year-old whose outsider status shapes his friendships, romance, and treatment by classmates.
Lucas pursues acceptance through the high school football team despite bullying and his lack of conventional athletic status.
Lucas is in love with Maggie while she falls for Cappie, making heartbreak the film's central emotional pressure.
The film emphasizes teenagers learning to care for one another and resist egotism, lust, and selfishness.
Films like Lucas, and why
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
shared coming-of-age drama, adolescent vulnerability, first love, and school social hierarchies
The Spectacular Now
shared teen romance, outsider protagonist, bullying, and emotionally sincere high school setting
The Last Picture Show
shared youthful heartbreak, outsider identity, and warm but bittersweet adolescent drama
Some Kind of Wonderful
shared high school romance, social pressure, and emotionally direct teen comedy-drama
Movie Details
- Director
- David Seltzer
- Release Date
- 1986-03-28
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (274)
Cast
- Corey Haim
- Kerri Green
- Charlie Sheen
- Winona Ryder
- Courtney Thorne-Smith
- Tom Hodges
- Guy Boyd
- Jeremy Piven
- Kevin Wixted
- Emily Seltzer
Common questions
- What is Lucas about?
- A tender Chicago high-school drama follows an awkward teenager navigating first love, friendship, bullying, and the search for belonging.
- What is Lucas like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lucas as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Lucas violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Lucas as mild.
- What did critics think of Lucas?
- Critics broadly praised Lucas as a sincere, emotionally perceptive teen drama with strong young performances and an unusually compassionate view of adolescence.
- Which films are like Lucas?
- Films with a similar feel include The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Spectacular Now, The Last Picture Show, and Some Kind of Wonderful.
- How long is Lucas?
- Lucas runs 100 minutes.
