The Lie

"It was an accident."

2018 1h 35m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 814

HorrorMysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A father and daughter are on their way to dance camp when they spot the girl's best friend on the side of the road. When they stop to offer the friend a ride, their good intentions soon result in terrible consequences.

“It was an accident.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Peter Sarsgaard
Jay Logan
Mireille Enos
Rebecca Logan
Joey King
Kayla Logan
Cas Anvar
Sam Ifrani
Patti Kim
Detective Kenji Tagata
Nicholas Lea
Detective Rodney Barnes
Devery Jacobs
Brittany Ifrani
Dani Kind
Trini

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Veena Sud
Writers: Veena Sud, Marcus Seibert, Sebastian Ko
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 8 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Veena Sud, shot by Peter Wunstorf. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Tamar-kali. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Philip Fowler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Peter Sarsgaard and Mireille Enos and Joey King carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It was an accident.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt7945440 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Veena Sud directs. Peter Wunstorf behind the camera. Tamar-kali scores. Philip Fowler cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 8 years ago.
2Directed by Veena Sud, shot by Peter Wunstorf. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Tamar-kali. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Philip Fowler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Peter Sarsgaard and Mireille Enos and Joey King carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "It was an accident.".
7IMDB entry: tt7945440 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Peter Wunstorf
Original score: Tamar-kali
Editing: Philip Fowler
Production design: Elisa Sauvé
Costume design: Leslie Kavanagh
Makeup / hair: Patrice Boudreau
Sound: Pete Elia
Stunt coordinator: Paul Rapovski
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Lie (2018)

Also by

Veena Sud

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Community reviews

What people are saying

JPV8522021-02-14
★ 6/10
Performances were pretty good if not unexceptional. The twist ending is pretty dark and I did have a queasy feeling throughout its entire 90-minute running time. However, despite being engaged with the story and characters, and I can't my finger on it, just something didn't quite gel. 3.0/5
tmdb154355192021-06-22
★ 7/10
I re-titled this, "The Making of a Serial Killer" with about 10 minutes left, then 5 minutes later changed my mind. Wow, what an insane ending.
Wuchak2022-10-25
★ 8/10
Oh, what a tangled web we weave In an unspecified wintery city in New York, likely Buffalo, a musician father (Peter Sarsgaard) and his ex-wife, a lawyer (Mireille Enos), concoct a lie to save their daughter (Joey King) from serious legal ramifications, but one lie leads to another and... “The Lie” (2018) is a drama with crime thriller elements, a morality tale in the vein of “A Simple Plan” (1998), albeit with an altogether different story. Like “Match Point” (2005), it’s a dramatic snowball that builds to avalanche proportions, manipulating you into rooting for the protagonists despite their dubious decisions in a life-changing situation. Armchair critics contend that the set-up is unbelievable, but we’re talking about mid-teenage girls here, who are subject to all kinds of questionable whims rooted in immature emotions. Look no further than Taylor Smith, who pushed Jordan Holgerson off a bridge at Moulton Falls near Vancouver, Washington, on August 7, 2018 (see the video on Youtube). As for the potential transgression in question, look up what happened to 16 year-old Skylar Neese on the night of July 5, 2012, in the Morgantown, West Virginia, area, which is featured on the real-life crime series See No Evil, Season 1, Episode 6. The less I say, the better. If you like films like the two noted above and "The River King" (2005), "Snow Angels" (2007), “Frozen River” (2008) and "The Drowning" (2016), check this one out. The movie runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot in the Toronto area. GRADE: A-