-Written by Kyle Bain.
Luki is a young, charismatic robot. He’s passionate about life and often loves playing soccer with his friends. When one day his arm stops working, he’s forced to head to the doctor and find out what’s going on. LUKI & the Lights follows the titular character as he’s diagnosed with ALS and his life slowly becomes more challenging.
LUKI & the Lights is a children’s film that will tear you apart, absolutely break you. LUKI & the Lights is most certainly geared toward children, attempting to express to them a story that is hard to explain otherwise. LUKI & the Lights eases younger viewers into a story of pain and suffering, and by using vibrant colors, effective animation, and by introducing compelling characters, those viewers will most certainly be able to appreciate LUKI & the Lights, even if only on a rudimentary level.
Beyond that, however, is an incredibly touching story that tugs at the heartstrings and will greatly appeal to more mature audiences as well. Will younger viewers fully understand the purpose of LUKI & the Lights? Probably not. However, I do believe they way in which this story is told that they will take away ideas like friendship that will ultimately make the film worth while for them. Will they learn something deeper by the end of the film? I think it’s certainly possible; and the film is a wonderful jumping off point for parents to have what is likely a challenging conversation.
The drama and the emotional relevance of LUKI & the Lights is the most important aspect of the film for sure. But what allows viewers to remain focused throughout in order to absorb that information? Well, in short, it’s the animation. There’s no doubt in my mind that any child that sits down to watch this film will be absolutely enamored by what they see happening before them. The closest comparison I can think of in terms of how the animation plays out is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, as LUKI & the Lights feels something akin to a comic book. The film has an immersive quality that allows viewers access to it early and often throughout its run.
Additionally, LUKI & the Lights is bright and vibrant, even in its darkest moments. While adults fully understand the gravity of what’s taking place, it’s important that an effective balance be achieved so that younger audiences aren’t overwhelmed. I found this balance to come in the form of the use of color to tell this story. Four different robots take the screen at one point or another throughout the course of LUKI & the Lights, each uniquely different from the rest, each effective in being a source of delight for viewers. Together they create a spectrum of color that transcends the entirety of the film.
Clocking in at only about ten minutes makes this the perfect film for this generation of children, as they won’t have to focus for long. Though, the content his heavy and emotionally relevant for mature audiences, those younger viewers will most certainly understand aspects of the narrative that they will be able to carry with them. LUKI & the Lights is a hard-hitting drama, just as effective as those mainstream dramas that get all the buzz. Through brilliant visuals and effective storytelling LUKI & The Lights accomplishes all that it sets out to, and appeals to a wide-ranging audience.
Directed by Toby Cochran.
Written by Janna Brouwer-Schouten, Toby Cochran, & Sasha Groen.
9/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
Comments