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Secrets & Lies

1996·Movie
2h 22min·R

Where to watch

Links go to licensed services. Data from JustWatch and TMDB.

What's your score?

Your score

Secrets & Lies fingerprint

Strong craft.

Energy

Calm and low-key

Builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.

  • Tension6
  • Fast Pace4
  • Spectacle4

Heart

Deeply moving and melancholic

Much of it is about family.

  • Family Dynamics10
  • Pathos9
  • Melancholy8

Humor

Some sharp wit and situational comedy

Not a comedy at heart.

  • Wit & Wordplay6
  • Situational Comedy5
  • Cringe Humor3

World

Family, everyday modern life, and society

Lived-in and easy to get lost in.

  • Dialogue Centrality9
  • World Immersion8
  • Rewatchability6

Craft

Standout performances, characters, and dialogue

  • Acting9
  • Character Depth9
  • Dialogue Quality8

Style

Functional look and sound

  • Cinematography7
  • Music Composition7
  • Editing6

Who it's for

AdultsDate NightFamily Movie NightFriends NightIntergenerationalPartner WatchPublic Viewing SafeSolo WatchTeensComfort WatchDrop-in FriendlyThought-Provoking

Skip it if

You want fast pacing

Find more like it

Based on the GoodWatch fingerprint: our scores for 70+ attributes of every movie. Select a row to see all of them.

About

Roxanne drives her mother crazy. Maurice never speaks to his niece. Cynthia has a shock for her family. Monica can't talk to her husband. Hortense has never met her mother.

After her adoptive mother dies, Hortense, a successful black optometrist, seeks out her birth mother. She's shocked when her research leads her to Cynthia, a working class white woman.
British Social RealismDysfunctional FamiliesAdoption & IdentitySecrets and LiesCharacter-Driven DramaEmotional & Heart-wrenchingClass DifferencesPowerful PerformancesMike Leigh Film

Sequels and Prequels

No sequels or prequels available

Media

Questions about Secrets & Lies

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Secrets & Lies legally?

Secrets & Lies is included with a subscription to HBO Max in the United States. You can also rent or buy it from Apple TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Google Play Movies. All links in Where to Watch go to these licensed services.

Is Secrets & Lies worth watching?

86
ExcellentGoodWatch score

Yes. It's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 86/100 (IMDb 8 and Metacritic 92). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.

What is Secrets & Lies rated?

R

It's rated R in the United States.

How long is Secrets & Lies?

2 h 22 min

Secrets & Lies runs 2 h 22 min.

Do critics and audiences agree on Secrets & Lies?

Critics92
Audiences83

Not quite. Critics rate Secrets & Lies higher (92) than audiences (83). It may be more rewarding than it is crowd-pleasing.

Was Secrets & Lies a box office hit?

Budget$5 million
Box office$13 million

Yes. It cost about $5 million to make and earned $13 million worldwide, 3.0 times its budget.

What language is Secrets & Lies in?

EnglishGreek

It was made in English, with some Greek. Produced in United Kingdom, France.

In how many countries can I watch Secrets & Lies?

135AEAGALAOARATAUAZBABBBEBFBGBH+121

GoodWatch finds legal streaming, rental, or purchase options for Secrets & Lies in 135 countries. Pick any of them in Where to Watch to see the local services.

What tropes does Secrets & Lies use?

Oh, Crap!Surprisingly Happy EndingBig, Screwed-Up FamilyVerbal TicTitle DropLike a Son to MeThe CameoLaw of Inverse FertilityTeen PregnancyCaptain ObviousThe Noun and the NounDramatically Missing the Pointand 11 more

TV Tropes lists 23 storytelling tropes for Secrets & Lies, including Oh, Crap!, Surprisingly Happy Ending, Big, Screwed-Up Family.