Only real reason I'm writing this is to counter everyone else's absurdly angry reviews. This was a decent story, well acted, and no I didn't know where it was going. I went along with the ride. People are mad at the plot because the parents did stupid things... well, people do stupid things. Isn't that the point? Also, if a movie inspired a reaction from you... isn't that also the point?
538 Reviews
Cringeworthy for parents of teenagers
repojack9 October 2020
I've got three teenagers, and by experience, you don't need a movie to remind you that they can be obnoxiously rebellious and unpredictable. "The Lie" takes that to an extreme where the parents make very stupid decisions to cover up their daughter's misdeeds.
The majority of the movie is protecting that lie to harrowing results. The finale is a face-palm moment where you think, as a potential parent, that "I would've done that so different!" Or maybe not?
The majority of the movie is protecting that lie to harrowing results. The finale is a face-palm moment where you think, as a potential parent, that "I would've done that so different!" Or maybe not?
Really Good until...
roneshaholloway-6752614 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
To try and not ruin the pic for someone else these questions will only make sense to those who watched! So..,1. If that was it, then why did the daughter try to not go to the retreat at first 2. What teenager would give up their cell phone3. If the boyfriend could've picked her up from the woods then why not just have picked her up from the bus stop. Why did she need to involve her friend in her lie 4. What lawyer doesn't know how to cover up things better 5. As the mom, oh I would never leave my child alone with her dad again. Not if that happened on his watch 6. What daughter is gonna watch her parents suffer to that point. 7. If the dead girls dad lives just a few houses down, why did you two drive there and did u really think it'd be that easy? I guess no other neighbors look out of their windows 8. I would have knocked the windows out of my car and said he was attacking us 9. I would strangle my daughter. The cops would have had to pull me off of her!
Idiotic
Ripshin29 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Just people doing stupid things.
If they had truly wanted to be controversial - the two parents would have killed their daughter for the whole mess.
Regardless, EVERYONE made the DUMBEST choices possible. Seriously.
HOW can you take a film seriously, when everyone is so stupid?
If they had truly wanted to be controversial - the two parents would have killed their daughter for the whole mess.
Regardless, EVERYONE made the DUMBEST choices possible. Seriously.
HOW can you take a film seriously, when everyone is so stupid?
Good watch
Feel-the-truth6 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I read the reviews for this movie and I am not sure what these people watched. One review said the movie was flawed as the body was shown near the river... Mmm... Sorry that was a dream sequence.
The movie is a slow burner it is good and the twist is one of those kind of twists which you would think about but then dismiss it as too obvious.
Acting was good, however the end scene was laughable as no parent would react the way they did when the truth emerged.
I say watch the movie
The movie is a slow burner it is good and the twist is one of those kind of twists which you would think about but then dismiss it as too obvious.
Acting was good, however the end scene was laughable as no parent would react the way they did when the truth emerged.
I say watch the movie
It is a good movie but difficult for parents!
yousra8-114 October 2020
Viewers must be able to differentiate between good acting and how the movie made them feel! Most parents know exactly that teenage behaviours can be obnoxious and intolerable and watching this movie reminded them of that! That does not mean that the story is not good. In fact the movie poses the very important "what would you do " question.. I am certain that the answers are easier to said than done!
The Most Far-Fetched Twist I've Ever Seen.
UndefinedParameter27 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Q1: Would you lie to the police and falsely accuse your best friend's father of child abuse so that your best friend could run away for a couple of days to see their SO?
Q2: Would you throw your purse (assuming you have one) in a river and break your cell phone in order to pretend to be pushed off a bridge by your best friend to play a joke on your parents?
Q3: Would you scream at your parents and yell you were a terrible person and you killed your best friend because of your Dad when you knew this was a prank all along?
If your answers to all of these are "yes", this might be the movie for you.
Q2: Would you throw your purse (assuming you have one) in a river and break your cell phone in order to pretend to be pushed off a bridge by your best friend to play a joke on your parents?
Q3: Would you scream at your parents and yell you were a terrible person and you killed your best friend because of your Dad when you knew this was a prank all along?
If your answers to all of these are "yes", this might be the movie for you.
I don't get the negative reviews about this one
suzanaleventic7 October 2020
This movie definitely deserved a much higher rating than all those godawful quick-and-cheap movies being churned out by the dozens. I thought the story was intriguing and kept me engaged throughout, the twist at the end was also well done, the photography was high quality. People who hated this film should stick to their freaking reality tv shows and shut up.
There is one big flaw that kind of ruins the whole thing
gargantuaboy7 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
By the time this movie ends you would have to believe that one teenage girl said to the other: "I want to visit my boyfriend so let's just pretend you murdered me and of course nothing will happen to you and I will just pop up a week later and everything will be fine!!" That is just too stupid to buy so the movie just completely falls apart at the end. I'm not saying it wasn't entertaining getting there, but that ending just ruins it.
Pretty decent thriller
UniqueParticle13 October 2020
Fairly tense drama/thriller not really horror even though it's found in the horror section on Amazon. Joey King, Mireille Enos and Peter Sarsgaard are all excellent at least most the time. A great cover up story not what I expected it to be! Plays out really well for what it is!
Makes no sense
ed-5132818 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I actually though in beginning it would be funny if Kayla was just pranking her parents.
Not thinking that was actually the plot.
But the issue is that the main reason for the lie wasn't pranking her parents but for Brittany to get away for awhile. How does telling the lie help with that.
To her father she is missing either way. Why drag Kayla and her parents into the mess when it doesn't even help the plan.
Brittany could have just disappeared from the bus stop or where they were originally going without such an elaborate ruse.
So simple, yet so effective
jtindahouse13 October 2020
Sometimes the simple stories are the best ones. Quite a way through 'The Lie' I thought to myself just how little this film actually had in the way of complexity of plot. And yet I was enthralled by it and having an absolute blast. I didn't even need any more out of it. I was happy for it to play out in a natural way and I still would've given it a pretty decent rating. Then along came one of the best twist endings I've seen in a long time, and it was the perfect icing on the cake.
The film is very well acted. It has a cast of under-rated actors and they all play their part excellently. It has to be kept in mind that they are playing one of the most detestable families ever put on film, and yet at the same time they need to make the audience root for them - at least on some level. Not an easy thing to do. Joey King in particular really impressed me. Watching her emotional swings and how she could change them on a dime in any given scene was thoroughly impressive.
I love films like 'The Lie'. They're those films that don't need a big budget, or A-list celebrities or over-the-top and unrealistic characters. They just take a great script and get every drop out of it. I highly recommend checking this one out, and knowing as little about it before going in as possible as well.
The film is very well acted. It has a cast of under-rated actors and they all play their part excellently. It has to be kept in mind that they are playing one of the most detestable families ever put on film, and yet at the same time they need to make the audience root for them - at least on some level. Not an easy thing to do. Joey King in particular really impressed me. Watching her emotional swings and how she could change them on a dime in any given scene was thoroughly impressive.
I love films like 'The Lie'. They're those films that don't need a big budget, or A-list celebrities or over-the-top and unrealistic characters. They just take a great script and get every drop out of it. I highly recommend checking this one out, and knowing as little about it before going in as possible as well.
A pleasantly surprising watch!
becky-9234625 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The Lie (2018) follows a father and daughter who pick up the daughter's best friend as they make their way to a dance camp, however this soon results in terrible consequences. I wasn't entirely interested in the plot at first, but I'm glad I watched it as this film really does have a lot of strong moments!
Visually, the film was strong! There was some nice, cool colour palettes and I really liked the snowy setting and found it oddly fitting for the tone of the film. Also, the make up was brilliant as the characters genuinely looked mentally exhausted.
The acting was very good to the point where it got hard to watch at points due to the realism. I particularly liked Peter Sarsgaard as Jay, I really felt sorry for his character and could tell he just wanted the best for his daughter. In addition, I have a strange love for films where things just keep getting worse and worse for the characters so I guess this really was for me!
The pacing was slow for a movie so short, but it was pulled off very well! Even though a few parts dragged, this didn't matter to me much as the film builds up tension so incredibly high that as much as I wanted to look away, I couldn't. It was interesting to see all the lies fall apart. A specific moment I found super tense was when they were burying the phone, it really had me on the edge of my seat!
The film comes to a shocking conclusion and I found the ending to be majorly effective. Although I was suspicious as to why we didn't see Brittany be pushed and I sensed a twist, it was still hard-hitting and my suspicions didn't take away from the sense of mystery.
Visually, the film was strong! There was some nice, cool colour palettes and I really liked the snowy setting and found it oddly fitting for the tone of the film. Also, the make up was brilliant as the characters genuinely looked mentally exhausted.
The acting was very good to the point where it got hard to watch at points due to the realism. I particularly liked Peter Sarsgaard as Jay, I really felt sorry for his character and could tell he just wanted the best for his daughter. In addition, I have a strange love for films where things just keep getting worse and worse for the characters so I guess this really was for me!
The pacing was slow for a movie so short, but it was pulled off very well! Even though a few parts dragged, this didn't matter to me much as the film builds up tension so incredibly high that as much as I wanted to look away, I couldn't. It was interesting to see all the lies fall apart. A specific moment I found super tense was when they were burying the phone, it really had me on the edge of my seat!
The film comes to a shocking conclusion and I found the ending to be majorly effective. Although I was suspicious as to why we didn't see Brittany be pushed and I sensed a twist, it was still hard-hitting and my suspicions didn't take away from the sense of mystery.
Could win the Oscar for implausibility
vlechtja5 November 2020
Makes a case for just always telling the truth. Moderately interesting.
TxMike7 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is only a moderately interesting movie with accomplished actors. Set in New York but filmed in Canada, it is a snowy day and the dad is giving a ride to his teen daughter and her school friend when the friend insists that he pull over, she has to pee so bad she is about to wet his back seat. We eventually figure out it wasn't a random spot, she had intentions.
The story only works if the dad fails to do what any reasonable adult would do - call 9-1-1 and get help. Instead he and ultimately his lawyer ex wife begin an elaborate set of lies to "protect" their daughter. It escalates to a devastating point until at the end the whole ruse comes to light.
It is interesting from a "what would you do" perspective but in the end just a moderately interesting movie that is just barely over 90 minutes.
My wife and I watched it on Amazon streaming movies.
The story only works if the dad fails to do what any reasonable adult would do - call 9-1-1 and get help. Instead he and ultimately his lawyer ex wife begin an elaborate set of lies to "protect" their daughter. It escalates to a devastating point until at the end the whole ruse comes to light.
It is interesting from a "what would you do" perspective but in the end just a moderately interesting movie that is just barely over 90 minutes.
My wife and I watched it on Amazon streaming movies.
Underrated score here
ddlvwrkhi13 October 2020
Worth a watch up to the good ending. Acting was good. Suspenseful and not very unrealistic. Yes it could have a bit more character development but you do get to know the characters no matter how unlikeable they become. I guess unless you like to "root for" somebody in every movie, you should enjoy it!
Beyond stupid and annoying. A complete waste of time.
jneiberger-12 November 2020
I would like an hour of my life back. Everything about this movie is bad. The characters are idiots and unbelievably annoying. The premise is absurd at the start and gets worse. By the end, you'll regret having watched this nonsense.
The three main characters are so mind-bogglingly stupid and annoying, I can't believe I sat through the entire thing.
And the ending. What can I say about the ending? As with everything else in the movie, it's dumb and somehow makes the characters even more annoying, especially the daughter.
This is the third Blumhouse show I've watched. The other two were quite good. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
The three main characters are so mind-bogglingly stupid and annoying, I can't believe I sat through the entire thing.
And the ending. What can I say about the ending? As with everything else in the movie, it's dumb and somehow makes the characters even more annoying, especially the daughter.
This is the third Blumhouse show I've watched. The other two were quite good. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
WTF
Witchy_Pooh8 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The only reason I rated this a 6 out of 10 was for (mostly) everything leading up to the last 15 minutes of the film. But the entire, "Oh, mom and dad, I'm just j/k'ing witcha. Brtiney ain't dead. Lulz. Let's be familiez." made me wish Kayla's parents had asked her to go wait outside in the driveway so they could run her down, too. As many other reviewers have already pointed out, this movie is all about stupid people doing stupid things, and nothing more.
Someone needs to apologise for this film
antony-6910 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
There's a lot of things that could be said about this film, none of them nice.
You knew within the first ten minutes that she wasn't dead. Granted, you didn't know that the pretence of murder and abuse was just to cover for her seeing her boyfriend but you knew what was coming one way or another.
Nothing in this film makes sense. No ones actions are believable. None of it is believable. However, the absolute standout, the absolute sinking point is that at no point do the parents question that their daughter has happily murdered her best friend and then gone home as if nothing is wrong. She continues to eat normally, she sits and laughs at cartoons. Life goes on. To all intents and purposes they are living with a bloodthirsty psychopath yet don't care in the slightest. Then, having themselves murdered someone to cover up for a murder that they think their daughter committed, they find out that it was all a big joke so what do they do? Get angry? Scream the house down? Go on the run? No, none of those things. They give their daughter a hug.
If you've got the option of watching this or spending two hours poking yourself in the eyes with needles, pick the needles!
You knew within the first ten minutes that she wasn't dead. Granted, you didn't know that the pretence of murder and abuse was just to cover for her seeing her boyfriend but you knew what was coming one way or another.
Nothing in this film makes sense. No ones actions are believable. None of it is believable. However, the absolute standout, the absolute sinking point is that at no point do the parents question that their daughter has happily murdered her best friend and then gone home as if nothing is wrong. She continues to eat normally, she sits and laughs at cartoons. Life goes on. To all intents and purposes they are living with a bloodthirsty psychopath yet don't care in the slightest. Then, having themselves murdered someone to cover up for a murder that they think their daughter committed, they find out that it was all a big joke so what do they do? Get angry? Scream the house down? Go on the run? No, none of those things. They give their daughter a hug.
If you've got the option of watching this or spending two hours poking yourself in the eyes with needles, pick the needles!
The ending!!!
michellepowell-441827 October 2020
If I could give this a 0 I would
j-9416223 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This movie just didn't make logical sense from the get go. The beginning where she tells her dad she pushed her, but is so calm and isn't even freaking out should have been a clear sign that something was off. Then the movie goes on and none of it is logical. She makes up these lies for no good reason in my opinion. If she wanted her parents back together she could have done it in many other logical witty ways. Also, her self harming in the movie really gives nothing to the plot line and was just a stupid attempt to make the movie more interesting, which made no sense and kind of upset me. As a person who deals with self harm it ticked me off that they added that detail for no good reason. That detail really didn't have anything else to do with the actual movie and I can tell you that normal parents do not react to that kind of stuff by saying I didn't know what to do. Also, if her mom did send her to a therapist while she was self harming then that therapist would have sent her to a mental institution, so that detail didn't add up in the slightest. Overall this was a terrible movie and that was 95 minutes of my life that I will never get back.
Just look closer
iveteferreira7 October 2020
I liked it
boyhoy-307188 October 2020
Predictable "Twist" Ending, Poor Writing, Unlikeable Unbelievable Characters
nafps10 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Not a thriller. Dull, and a waste of time. Stay far away.
You can see the supposed twist from the start, that the girlfriend faked her death. Very poor writing. On top of that, the girlfriend flirts with the father, yet nothing is done to follow up on that aspect of the story. That's poor writing plus poor directing.
None of the characters are remotely likeable or believable. The daughter is whiny, mopey, self absorbed, and selfish. The parents are gullible, their actions unconvincing. You want to slap all three. And then you want to slap the film makers for wasting your time.
You can see the supposed twist from the start, that the girlfriend faked her death. Very poor writing. On top of that, the girlfriend flirts with the father, yet nothing is done to follow up on that aspect of the story. That's poor writing plus poor directing.
None of the characters are remotely likeable or believable. The daughter is whiny, mopey, self absorbed, and selfish. The parents are gullible, their actions unconvincing. You want to slap all three. And then you want to slap the film makers for wasting your time.
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