We Were Liars is based on a Young-Adult novel where 17-year-old Cadence Sinclair (Emily Alyn Lind – Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) has had an accident and been left for dead.
However, things do improve for her, because in a series which jumps back and forth in time, it then goes back to an earlier time for Cadence as she meets Gat Patil (Shubham Maheshwari) and falls for him, a mutual experience.
Her family, The Sinclairs, are considered “American Royalty”. They spend each summer on Beechwood Island and apparently have a good time, but this chick-lit is ridiculously-drawn out and feels more like Mills & Boon with added Rich People’s Problems, or a Channel 5 afternoon movie.
That’s aside from the darker side of things where everyone seems to know what happened in the accident – which is giving her migraines – but isn’t telling her; and ‘the liars’ are the other teens who haven’t spoken to her all year, even though they’re supposed to be her friends. So, why are they being such an arse?
That said, as Cadence is walking about, post-accident, with a right face on, why is such a happy song playing? There was certainly a better one elsewhere, on one of the end credits, with Jax’s Cinderella Snapped.
But the more We Were Liars goes on, but more it time-hops, just making things confusing. It seems to be really working for some people, but for me, I really don’t get this.
We Were Liars is on Prime Video from tomorrow.
Cert:
Running time: 50-60 minutes per episode (8 episodes)
Release date: June 18th 2025
Studio: Prime Video
Format: 2.39:1
Series Directors: Erica Dunton, So Yong Kim, Tara Miele, Julie Plec, Nzingha Stewart
Producers: Holly Redford, Kimberly Ndombe
Writers: Scarlett Curtis, Fola Goke-Pariola, Sid Gopinath, Aditya Joshi, E Lockhart, Carina Adly MacKenzie, Julie Plec, Allison Sanchez, Brett Matthews, Gursimran Sandhu, Maya Vyas
Novel: E Lockhart
Music: Michael Suby
Cast:
Cadence Sinclair: Emily Alyn Lind
Penny Sinclair: Caitlin FitzGerald
Carrie Sinclair: Mamie Gummer
Bess Sinclair: Candice King
Ed Patil: Rahul Kohli
Gat Patil: Shubham Maheshwari
Mirren Sinclair: Esther McGregor
Johnny Sinclair: Joseph Zada
Harris Sinclair: David Morse
Will: Brady Droulis
Bonnie: Emerson MacNeil
Liberty: Manaia Wall
Young Mirren: Nikita Goold
Young Johnny: Quinn LeBlanc
Young Gat: Leandro Vigueras
Brody Sheffield: Dylan Bruce
Ebon: Dempsey Bryk
Lydia: Martina Kelades
Young Cadence: Raewynn Martel
Tipper Sinclair: Wendy Crewson
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.