The Lie (2020)

For anyone craving a homegrown thriller, look no further than Veena Sud’s The Lie. Filmed in Toronto, this English adaptation of the 2015 German film Wir Monster tells the harrowing tale of a separated couple coming together to protect their daughter. Starring Peter Saarsgard and Mirielle Enos as doting parents to Kayla, played by genre regular Joey King, the former couple must put their differences aside after Kayla does something excessively reckless that ends in tragedy. The focus on morality and parental obligation are at the forefront here, and their reliance on privilege seasons this boiling pot of misguided decisions. There is also an element of prejudice that was an interesting and modern touch.

Toronto-born Sud’s other works include the TV series The Killing, The Salton Sea, and she was a producer on the Netflix series Seven Seconds. With these suspense-filled stories on her CV, it’s no wonder she adapted The Lie for English audiences and shot the film in and around her native city. Sud seems to zero in on moral dilemmas and heartbreak that sprout from families and their dysfunction.