The Lie

 

Name: The Lie 

Directed By: Veena Sud 

Subgenre: Thriller

Series: Spooktober 2020 entry #26; review #88

Review: Another day, another unintended Blumhouse thriller to review. The production studio is nothing if not prolific. As mentioned before, I'm watching the last week's worth of Spooktober 2020 films a year later, and I'm glad I waited for this one. It's not that the film had aged like a fine wine, but that recent current events have created an unfortunate real-world analog to the film, and that only serves to heighten the drama therein. I'm talking of course about the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Gabby Petito. To briefly summarize, Gabby left on a road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, in July of 2021; in September, Brian returned in her van, alone. In the weeks following, Brian refused to comment to police about the situation leading her parents to file a missing person's report. Brian holed up at his parents' house, again refusing to speak on the matter, before eventually fleeing. Gabby's body was found shortly after, and Brian has been on the run ever since (at least as of the time this review was originally published). So, what's that have to do with The Lie? While this story was developing, I've been wondering what Brian's parents must be thinking as they sheltered Brian before the storm eventually grew out of control; how much, exactly, do they know? Does it eat away at them in the dead of night? Well, that scenario is explored in teeth-clenching detail in The Lie. The film focuses on an estranged mother and father as they find out their daughter intentionally pushed her friend into the nearby river. What follows is a tragic exploration of how far parents can go to protect their children and shelter them from their own mistakes, even if those mistakes cost other's their lives. I should probably mention that the film is only tangentially horror--another "the idea is more horrifying than what's on screen" kind of flick. The film's third act definitely ramps up the tension and lives up to its designation as a thriller, especially with its climactic final revelations. The Lie offers no reprieve from its premise, from the escalating tension: only a reality as bleak and cold as the surrounding omnipresent winter. There are no scares here, at least of the traditional sort, save for the lingering question: what would you do in their situation?

Overall Score: 3.5 out of 5 Chads watching in terror at how far they'll go for their loved ones. Did The Lie scare you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

IMDB: Here

How to Watch: The Lie is available on these platforms.

Official Trailer