Luster Now Review
The film is full of stunning practical special effects that put most big budget Hollywood films to shame, and the acting is superb. Andrew Howard is an excellent choice for the lead role, and his character has a lot of depth to him that is very rare in horror films. The director, Adam Mason, does a fantastic job with the camera work and lighting in this movie as well. The way he is able to make the fake blood look realistic in some scenes is amazing, and the whole movie has a very real feel to it that you don't often see in modern horror movies.
In a world where smart books about self-destructive young women are usually cynical and self-pitying, it is a relief to come across one that embraces both its darkness and its pleasures. Leilani writes with scalpels made of class resentment and the inescapable workings of race, but she also knows how to write in a voice that is funny and shrewd and able to articulate both rage and ennui.
Luster is a bold debut that will be celebrated by readers who appreciate its heady mix of melancholy and kink, satire and seriousness. Leilani offers a dazzling vision of a life lived on the margins, a novel that deserves a place in our literary canon.
