Lucy (2014) – Frame of Minds Review
⚠️ Spoiler alert: This review contains key plot points and the ending of Lucy.
From the get-go, Lucy had me hooked. The movie opens with a scene of an ancient ancestor of a monkey, and straight away I love it when a film starts with more questions than answers. For me, I’ve always had a 10-minute rule—if it grabs me within that time, I’m in for the ride.
Lucy, bound and cornered—this still shows the film’s gritty start and her transformation journey.
Courtesy of Collider, used under fair use for commentary.
Lucy, bound and cornered—this still shows the film’s gritty start and her transformation journey.
Courtesy of Collider, used under fair use for commentary.
We’re thrown into a mix of history, animals, and what feels like a time loop leading back to the present day. Then comes the gritty part—Chinese gangsters, led by actor Choi Min-sik, and Scarlett Johansson as Lucy (no surname needed here). At first glance it looks like a film about drug smuggling, but it quickly shifts into something far stranger.
Lucy becomes an unwilling drug mule, carrying a strange substance implanted into her abdomen. When it ruptures inside her, the drug starts unlocking her brain’s full potential. What begins as 1% creeps higher and higher—10%, 28%, 50%—all the way to 100%. Along the way she transforms into something more than human, almost a kind of AI in flesh.
Lucy strides down the hall armed and empowered—her metamorphosis in action.
Courtesy of Collider, used under fair use for commentary.
Lucy strides down the hall armed and empowered—her metamorphosis in action.
Courtesy of Collider, used under fair use for commentary.
Morgan Freeman plays a biology professor who explains the science behind it all, though he doesn’t come into the story properly until about halfway. It’s a shame his role isn’t bigger because he fits it perfectly—maybe it’s just his voice, but he really sells the “wise professor” vibe.
Facing Professor Norman (Freeman)—a visual nod to her evolving intellect.
Image via Movie Fail, used under fair use for review.
Facing Professor Norman (Freeman)—a visual nod to her evolving intellect.
Image via Movie Fail, used under fair use for review.
As Lucy’s brain power grows, we see her abilities escalate—mind reading, manipulating matter, controlling computers, even bending time and space itself. There are moments that feel Matrix-like, with visuals of glowing roots, shifting codes, and hidden layers of reality. The Paris setting keeps the action stylish, and we even get a classic high-speed car chase through the city.
By the time Lucy reaches 70% and beyond, things get wild. She’s rewriting physics, warping through time (dinosaurs and all), and eventually dissolving into something bigger than human understanding. The ending delivers a strange but fitting conclusion: Lucy disappears, leaving behind a flash drive—her knowledge condensed, gifted back to humanity. The final words linger on screen: “Life was given to us a billion years ago, now you know what to do with it.”
For me, that line sums it up. Lucy isn’t just about action, it’s about the mystery of human potential, the chaos of unlocking too much power, and whether we’re even ready for it. Honestly, I like that the movie stands on its own instead of dragging into trilogies. The pacing, the mystery, and the visuals kept me watching right to the end—partly because I needed to see what happened when she hit 100%.
Scarlett Johansson nails the lead role, balancing both vulnerability and unstoppable power. I’ve seen her in plenty of films, but she really shines in these strong, serious roles.
Overall, Lucy is right up my street: mysterious, scientific, and thought-provoking. It’s like The Matrix in places, but with its own unique spin. On the Frame of Minds rating scale, I’m giving it a solid 9/10.
