☆☆☆☆☆ 4/5
Genre : Thriller
Director : Veena Sud
Platform : Amazon Prime
The Lie is a story about Kayla, played by Joey King, who is a stubborn and spoiled girl. In an incident, she pushes her best friend from a bridge. In order to save Kayla, her parents plan to cover up the murder. Will Kayla be caught by the police? Will her parents get away with the murder? The movie answers all these questions.
The movie isn’t a fast-paced thriller with a lot of action. Instead, it is a slow burn heavy watch. The mind-boggling thrillers which we watch are just a fun experience to devour. But after watching The Lie, I felt we underestimate these slow burn movies.
Imagine if you wake up in the morning and the bad dream you dreamt about comes to life. This is what happens in the movie. In one scene, Kayla asks her dad, “If you do something bad, how do you undo that”? The covering up of murder is one aspect. But the anxiety of being caught by the police is another. The direction and screenplay give enough space for this worry to blossom and we genuinely feel anxious.
Joey King is just perfect in this peculiar role. She is difficult to trust, she has her insecurities and is dealing with her own demons. Throughout the movie, I had so much respect for these parents. With Kayla, they are suffering too. They are ready to go to any extend to save her. There comes a point when her mother is just tired, exhausted and the only thing she manages to do is silently cry.
Cinematographer, Peter Wunstorf, creates this dark dingy world for the movie. The movie is set in winter season with scenery full of snow and ice. The grey and gloomy atmosphere makes the movie sinister and helps in expressing the emotions of sorrow, worry and apprehension. Towards the end when the worst is over, Kayla’s mother opens the window, letting the sunlight enter their house. This scene is metaphor for the new beginnings and is totally precious.
New beginning doesn’t necessarily mean a good end to the story, right? Well, you will have to find out what happens in the end. Surprisingly, in the last five minutes of the movie there is a twist. I was speechless for the five whole minutes and my heart sank.
The Lie remains true to its name. If you are up for a fun light-hearted experience, maybe keep this movie for another time. It is heavy and deeply impacts your mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czIBLZxLlzk
An Indian reviewer who writes about horror and thriller movies/series. If not movies, he likes to pick up a mystery book to read. Some of his favourite movies/series include Stranger Things, Elite (S1-3), Train to Busan, Andhadhun, Strangers: Prey at Night.