We Were Liars Review: Intriguing and Long-Winded

We Were Liars Review: Intriguing and Long-Winded | Leisurebyte

Director: Erica Dunton, Tara Miele, Julie Plec, Nzingha Stewart

Date Created: 2025-06-18 12:30

Editor's Rating:
3

We Were Liars Review: When Cadence Sinclair Eastman gets into a terrible accident that results in her losing her memory, she goes on a path of remembering everything that transpired that fateful night. However, when everyone, including her tight-knit group, refuses to divulge anything, things get progressively more and more confusing for her.

The series has 8 episodes, each with a runtime of around 45 minutes and is based on the young adult novel of the same name by E. Lockhart.

We Were Liars Review

Young adult dramas surrounding rich kids doing rich kid stuff and then facing the consequences of their actions have become the norm for streaming platforms. Following that trend is Prime Video’s newest entry that showcases the Sinclair household changing forever after a tragic accident. The story progresses with Cadence, a young girl at the heart of this scandal, and the audience learns the truth about everything with her.

The series holds on to its mystery for the greater part of the runtime, while the series jumps between the past and the present to give us a vivid story surrounding Cadence and her life. This is a coming-of-age drama that holds some emotional weight and a few important topics that will leave you hooked. Although I acknowledge that I am quite tired of watching filthy rich people facing a few issues in their lives, the series can resonate with a lot of people, especially young adults.

The drama and the mystery go together quite well, and most viewers will find themselves interested in the story progression. There are some very dull, unnecessary moments here and there, but it’s mostly important for the last twist and won’t feel like too much of a big deal. I think the major problem I felt with the series is that the characters are just so unlikeable. I won’t be able to compare them with the characters in the novel, but everyone in the series is a brat with no regard for anyone around them. Everyone is greedy and selfish and constantly after the next best thing.

I understand that the point of it all is to showcase that the rich have a ton of secrets to hide, but my god, are these people insufferable. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I totally enjoyed the juicy tea and the relationship between the siblings. I think that’s the most interesting part of this series, and I found myself gravitating towards their drama and wanting to watch more rather than the mindless bickering of the youngsters. There are layers and history to their relationship that the Liars don’t have, and despite it not being the focal point, you are drawn to it regardless.

I further enjoyed the mirror that the younger and the older generations hold to each other in the series. The children are enamoured by the idea of their grandparents’ beachy retreat that’s almost magical, blissfully unaware of the misogyny and the racism just under the surface. You see history repeat each other as the series progresses, as things crumble around them in every scene, and the rose-tinted glasses come off. The rude awakening strengthens their bonds and tests their resolve in equal measure, which will be moving for most viewers.

The performances, however, are what keep We Were Liars together. Mamie Gummer, Caitlin FitzGerald and Candice King are absolutely fantastic as the three sisters. Their relationship is absolutely horrible, but you see history there that cannot be described. Taught to fight against one another for their father’s approval and his money, the three women are fantastic in every scene at painting a vivid picture of their dysfunctional family.

The relationship is almost mirrored by their children, but the bond between the younger generation is far deeper and portrays something more innocent. Emily Alyn Lind, Shubham Maheshwari, Esther McGregor and Joseph Zada are great as they fight against their family’s insanity at every turn.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed watching We Were Liars. The series gets a bit long-winded sometimes, but is enjoyable and impactful and has several moments of intrigue that will leave you hooked. Although I can’t compare with the novel, I think first-time watchers will have a swell time.

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