Latest news with #WeWereLiars'
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'We Were Liars' book vs. show: Amazon Prime Video series adds new drama, affairs
'We Were Liars' book vs. show: Amazon Prime Video series adds new drama, affairs Reader beware: This story contains spoilers for both the book and series adaptation of 'We Were Liars.' Gen Z's favorite COVID read has made it to the silver screen. 'We Were Liars' by E. Lockhart was published in 2014 but saw a sales resurgence in 2020 thanks to cooped-up YA readers and the wildfire spread of BookTok. Now, fans can see the psychological thriller as a series on Amazon's Prime Video. 'We Were Liars' follows the affluent Sinclair family who summer every year on Beechwood, a fictional island off of Martha's Vineyard. Cadence "Cady" Sinclair, her cousins Mirren and Johnny and family friend Gat are inseparable each year, especially as Cady and Gat begin to fall in love. Everything changes after a tragedy one summer, leaving Cady with a traumatic brain injury and memory loss. This novel is her quest to piece together how things fell apart. 'We Were Liars' is a faithful screen adaptation, though there are a few key changes. Here are the biggest differences from the book. 'We Were Liars' series condenses book timeline to summers 16 and 17 The most pronounced change in the 'We Were Liars' series is the timeline. While the book takes place across several summers, the adaptation condenses the action to summers 16 and 17 (the age Cady is that particular year). In the book, Cady and Gat begin to fall in love during summer 14. Grandmother Tipper Sinclair dies before summer 15, the year Cady's accident occurs. After her injury, Cady is kept from the island for a full year, instead traveling to Europe with her dad. She returns to find out what happened to her in summer 17. In the TV series, the story is split into a precise 'before' and 'after' – all of the main action, including Tipper dying, the love story and the accident, occurs in summer 16. In summer 17, Cady returns to the island and tries to fill in her missing memories. In 'We Were Liars' series, Johnny is gay, hiding school drama Eagle-eyed 'Hunger Games' fans will recognize 20-year-old Joseph Zada as the recently announced actor set to portray Haymitch Abernathy in the upcoming film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' 'Sunrise on the Reaping.' In "We Were Liars," Zada plays Johnny, the snarky cousin and son of Carrie, one of the patriarch Harris Sinclair's daughters. Zada lives up to the mischievous troublemaker in Lockhart's book. And though his sexuality and relationships aren't discussed in the book, the Prime Video series makes it clear that Johnny is gay – he has a brief but refreshingly unceremonious coming out moment (his cousins are supportive) and has a few hookups throughout the series. He tries to tell his mom that he's gay, but she dismisses him curtly. Another added element to his character is trouble at private school. Cady finds out Johnny was threatened by a prep school boy, and got into a violent fight at school that left a boy hospitalized. His mother, Carrie, paid off everyone involved to forget the incident, but not after an ultimatum from Harris – if he was going to give her the money she needed, she would have to break up with her boyfriend Ed. Ed, who is Indian, was never accepted by racist Harris, despite being a part of Beechwood family summers for a decade. Carrie's desperation to protect her son no matter the cost adds another layer to the sisters' fight to get their share of the inheritance. Cady confronts grandfather over racism, Sinclair privilege Harris' racism is present in both the book and the show, especially as Cady gets more involved with Gat, Ed's nephew. In the book, she calls him out over a racist comment and his illegal ivory, but she's easily placated after he yells at her for telling him what to do with his money and possessions. But in the show, Cady takes a more active stance in confronting her grandfather's problematic comments on several occasions, much to the chagrin of her mother. She also makes an active effort to learn about her privilege and undo her ignorance after Gat calls her on it, reading "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" by Isabel Wilkerson in one scene. Mirren and mother Bess get new, messy romances We don't learn much about the personal lives of the three sisters in the book, other than that they're all divorced. 'Family of Liars,' the series' prequel, goes deeper into that generation. But the series spends more time on the sisters, especially Bess (Mirren's mother), who is not divorced in the series but has a fraught relationship with her largely absent husband. In summer 16, she has a steamy affair with 'Salty Dan,' the harbor service worker. Mirren discovering them together fuels her anger toward her mother. Penny, Cadence's mom, uses Bess' affair against her to leverage an advantage in the inheritance fight. Mirren has a seafarer summer tryst of her own. In the book, she brags about a relationship with a 'Drake Loggerhead,' only to reveal to Cady later that she's lying to impress her. In the series, Mirren starts summer 16 sexting a pretentious prep school boy, who is revealed to be using her to anger Johnny. She finds something more authentic in a smooth-talking water taxi driver later in the series. Sinclair sisters tease second season, key plot of 'Family of Liars' If the twist ending of 'We Were Liars' underscores anything, it's that there's more to come. The Sinclair sisters reference their late sister Rosemary, a fourth daughter who died when she was young. Harris never stopped mourning her, affecting his relationships with his living daughters. Rosemary is a part of Lockhart's universe but isn't mentioned until the prequel 'Family of Liars.' The sisters also mention their own summer 16, when something unforgivable happened. Mourning the death of her own daughter in the finale, Bess worries that the Beechwood tragedy is 'punishment' for 'what we did.' Season 1 ends as Cady realizes she is the sole survivor of the fire she and her cousins set – she's been speaking with their ghosts all summer 17. She relinquishes them to the beyond, but Carrie still clings to her son Johnny's ghost. Season 2 will likely pick up with Johnny stuck, hurting, in the in-between. 2025 book-to-screen adaptations: 'Mickey 17,' 'Running Man,' 'Wicked' and more Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Prime Video's new mystery thriller series is now streaming — and the twists will keep you guessing until the very end
Summer might be the season for getting outside and soaking up the sun, but for me, it always puts me in the mood to binge a good mystery thriller. Thankfully, Prime Video came through, because the streaming service has dropped its new series 'We Were Liars,' and I can confidently say it's a twist-filled treat. 'We Were Liars' is based on E. Lockhart's bestselling 2014 novel, and if you're an avid Tumblr or BookTok user, you know this story has had a grip on people ever since its publication. The story follows a tight-knit group of teens who spend every summer together on their family's exclusive island. After a mysterious and traumatic incident, the oldest of the group is left with gaps in her memory and a deep sense that something is being hidden. As you can tell, it's a pretty gripping premise. I love reading books, and after watching the show, I'm now convinced to pick up the novel. There are plenty of twists sprinkled throughout, leading to an ending that will either shock or surprise you, depending on whether you pick up on the clues. So, if you need something to binge-watch now that we're approaching the first official day of summer, here's why 'We Were Liars' deserves a spot on your Prime Video watchlist. 'We Were Liars' centers around 17‑year‑old Cadence Sinclair Eastman (Emily Alyn Lind), who returns to her family's private island off Martha's Vineyard after a traumatic accident wiped out her memories of the previous summer. Raised within the wealthy Sinclair clan, Cadence spent childhood summers in the company of three close friends — her cousins Johnny (Joseph Zada) and Mirren (Esther McGregor), and their longtime friend Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) — together known as 'the Liars.' When she comes back, two years have passed, and everyone is tight‑lipped about the incident that left her injured and confused. Determined to piece things together, Cadence reconnects with Johnny, Mirren and Gat, retracing their final days before the accident. As she follows the trail of fragmented flashbacks, she uncovers shocking details about that summer, including romantic entanglements, hidden emotions, and family secrets that challenge everything she believed about her loved ones. If you've watched your fair share of teen dramas about wealthy families hiding ugly secrets, 'We Were Liars' might feel like very familiar ground. But fortunately, it still manages to rise above the crowd. Prime Video's latest series drops us into the lavish, picture-perfect world of the Sinclair family, where one traumatic event shatters everything. The story unfolds through the eyes of their granddaughter, Cadence, who returns to the family's private island, desperate to piece together what really happened during a summer she can't fully remember. We're essentially in the same position as her, with no idea what's going on, especially when the show slips into sudden, eerie montages of water and blonde hair floating on the surface. While those moments felt a little jarring at first, they start to make sense as the story progresses since they're visual cues tied to Cadence's fractured memories coming back to life. The show leans hard into mystery, shifting between timelines to slowly peel back layers of denial and long-held resentment. And while I usually roll my eyes at the 'rich people problems' genre, I have to admit: the mess is juicy. I'm sure anyone who loves teen dramas like 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' will find themselves hooked by every episode. However, the real standout is the dynamic between the older generation, especially the three sisters, played brilliantly by Mamie Gummer, Candice King and Caitlin FitzGerald. Their tension is so obvious, their history brutal, and honestly, I found them more compelling than the younger characters. With so many characters, though, I'm impressed that 'We Were Liars' managed to mirror the past and present without ever feeling confusing, and the family still got enough screen time even when the majority of the plot centers around Cadence and her friends. Throughout the show, you watch as these kids admire the island like it's some kind of fairy tale getaway, completely blind to the sexism and racism woven into its foundation. As the truth comes out, the illusion starts to crack, and each episode does a good job of showing how inherited trauma doesn't just fade but festers. Some storylines get more attention than others (which feels inevitable), but I respect the attempt to tackle weightier topics like privilege, patriarchy, and grief within the framework of a YA mystery. Not every twist lands, and yes, the wigs are a little distracting (had to be said), but it's still a satisfying binge. If you like messy family secrets, moody beach settings, and emotional gut-punches, this one's worth your time. Just be prepared for a final scene that veers off-book in a way that might leave you scratching your head. Feels like Prime Video is keeping the door open for a second season, just in case. 'We Were Liars' earns its place on your must-binge list not just for the mystery, but for the way it slowly pulls you into a world that seems polished on the surface yet unravels in deeply uncomfortable ways. The pacing might be slow and especially long-winded at times, but the emotional payoff and final reveals make the ride worthwhile. The performances, especially from the older cast, bring enough emotion that cuts through the gloss, giving the story a much-needed weight. And while the series doesn't land every swing, it does enough to keep you watching, theorizing, and feeling unsettled in the best way. You can stream 'We Were Liars' on Prime Video now. For more streaming recommendations, see what else is new on Prime Video in June 2025.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Julie Plec on why she hopes Meryl Streep likes ‘We Were Liars'
Liar, liar. Prime Video's new teen drama 'We Were Liars' (premiering Wednesday, June 18) is a twisty summertime thriller. Based on a wildly popular novel of the same name, the show is helmed by 'The Vampire Diaries' mastermind Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie. 'What drew me to it is the deep emotional roller coaster that this story takes you on, starting from what seems just like a very simple, sweet, nostalgic coming-of-age story about first love and best friends and summer, and takes you from basically all those vibes on a very twisty-turny, surprising journey into a big tone shift,' Plec exclusively told The Post. 9 Julie Plec attends the 'We Were Liars' premiere during the 2025 Tribeca Festival at SVA Theater on June 10, 2025 in New York City. Getty Images for Tribeca Festival 9 Emily Alyn Lind in 'We Were Liars.' Prime 'We Were Liars' follows Cadence Sinclair Eastman (Emily Alyn Lind) and her circle of cousins and friends – including Johnny (Joseph Zada), Mirren (Esther McGregor), and Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) – who have adventures over the course of several summers on her affluent family's private island. But, things take a darker turn as Cadence must figure out what's happening after she loses her memory, and everyone seems to have secrets. Rounding out the cast is Candice King, Mamie Gummer, Rahul Kohli, and David Morse. 9 Emily Alyn Lind, Esther McGregor, Joseph Zada, and Shubham Maheshwari in 'We Were Liars.' Jessie Redmond/Prime 'Casting a big ensemble like this, where everybody is supposed to be related to each other and blonde, as in the books, is never easy,' said Plec. She added, 'Blonde, you can usually fake, and, which we did pretty well in a couple situations, but you really need to be able to believe that they're all of one piece.' For Gat, an Indian boy who is Cadence's love interest, she said, 'We looked high and low. We were able to cast the role of Gat from a beautiful young actor who had never acted for a living before at all. His audition tape was done in his dorm room on campus just before he graduated [from] university.' 9 Emily Alyn Lind and Shubham Maheshwari in 'We Were Liars.' Prime 9 Rahul Kohli, E. Lockhart, David Morse, Wendy Crewson, Joseph Zada, Esther McGregor, Carina Adly Mackenzie, Emily Alyn Lind, Shubham Maheshwari, Mamie Gummer, Julie Plec, Caitlin Fitzgerald and Candice King attend the Prime Video 'We Were Liars' Tribeca Festival World Premiere Screening and Panel on June 10, 2025 in New York City. Getty Images for Prime Video 9 Mamie Gummer (left), Candice King, and Caitlin FitzGerald on the set of 'We Were Liars.' Instagram/candiceking Plec continued, 'We got to discover the incredible. Mamie Gummer, who's worked for years, but is stepping into her own as a leading lady.' Gummer, 41, is Meryl Streep's daughter. When asked about the probability that Streep, 75, will tune in, Plec said, 'I have alternate [thoughts] of like, 'Meh, that fine, she won't watch it, that's okay,' to 'Oh my god, Meryl Streep is probably gonna watch the show.'' She quipped, 'I just hope she likes it, to be honest.' 9 Esther McGregor, Joseph Zada, and Emily Alyn Lind in 'We Were Liars.' Prime 'We Were Liars' is also America's introduction to Aussie actor Zada, who is poised to have his career take off, as he's been cast as the star of the next 'Hunger Games' movie, 'Sunrise on the Reaping.' 'I feel very proud. I know he's worked before in Australia, so somebody else gets to take credit for discovering him off the street, but Carina and I are gladly gonna take credit for discovering [him] in the United States of America,' Plec said. She recalled how during filming, Gummer even set him up for his next major role – the Netflix adaptation of 'East of Eden' starring Florence Pugh – 'because Mamie called her very good friend, Zoe Kazan, who was directing it and said, 'You gotta meet this kid. He's extraordinary.'' 9 Mamie Gummer and Joseph Zada in 'We Were Liars.' 9 Carina Adly Mackenzie, Candic King, and Julie Plec (right). Instagram/cadlymack Plec added, 'I think we knew it on set. When we were in the sound stage, the sound engineers would be like, 'God, that kid is so good.' I think we're just at the beginning of a very long, very cool road for him.' Meanwhile, Plec has done three shows to date in 'The Vampire Diaries' universe, including 'The Originals' and 'Legacies.' About whether there could be more coming, Plec said that she's not working on anything specific at the moment. However, she added, 'I have had ideas in my head for more stories in Mystic Falls for pretty much since I started telling stories in Mystic Falls,' referring to the town where 'The Vampire Diaries' took place. 'So all anybody has to do is ask, and I will be there with bells on.'
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
How to watch 'We Were Liars' online - Stream the 8-episode psychological thriller
Believed to be the first in a trilogy, this season of "We Were Liars" is quite faithful to E. Lockhart's best selling book but does that mean that the twist - if there is one - is already out there? Below, we reveal where to watch 'We Were Liars' online and from anywhere with a VPN. "We Were Liars" premieres internationally on Wednesday, June 18• Global stream — Amazon Prime (FREE 30-day trial)• Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free It might do but then that would be telling and if you haven't read the book it doesn't matter anyway. All you need to know is that 17 year old Cadence Sinclair Eastman (played by Emily Alyn Lind) has lost her memory after a serious accident but has a strange feeling, as the pieces fall into place, that something truly dreadful has happened. 'The Liars' of the title refers to her tight-knit inner-circle - Penny Sinclair (Caitlin Fitzgerald), Jonny Sinclair (Joseph Zada) and Gat Patil (Shubham Maheshwari) - who hung out on Cadence's grandfather's private island but now they all seem to be hiding something. But what is it? And does Cadence really want to find out? Below is our full guide to how to watch 'We Were Liars' online with an Amazon Prime Video 30-day FREE trial. This slick psychological Amazon Original thriller series lands on Prime Video on Wednesday, June 18 with all eight episodes available to binge-watch from: 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET in the U.S. and Canada; 8 a.m. BST in the UK; and 5 p.m. AEST in Australia. There's good news for new and eligible returning Amazon subscribers. They'll be entitled to a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, which includes perks like free delivery, ad-free music, and access to thousands of hit films and TV shows. After this trial period ends, a subscription costs:• U.S. – $14.99 per month / $139 annually• U.K. – £8.99 per month / £95 annually• Canada – CA$9.99 per month / $99.99 annually• Australia – AU$9.99 per month / $79.99 annually Remember to use a VPN if you are visiting a country where Prime Video isn't available or you can't access your regular titles - more on that below. If you try to access your Amazon Prime account from abroad, you might find that your access is restricted – and some titles might be unavailable until your return home. The solution? A VPN, which lets you access your Prime Video content as if you were in your regular region of the world. Our all-time favourite is NordVPN (save up to 70% with this deal). Here's why it's the best: There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 7,000 servers, across 115 countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend. For a limited time only, new subscribers in the US and Canada can also get up to $50 of Amazon vouchers with a two-year plan. Get 70% off NordVPN with this deal Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the U.K. and want to view your U.S. Prime Video service, you'd select a U.S. server from the location list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to your streaming service app — so Prime, for example — and watch "We Were Liars" online from wherever you are in the world. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Tom's Guide
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I'm adding Prime Video's new mystery thriller show to my watchlist after seeing the first trailer — watch it now
Prime Video just dropped the first trailer for 'We Were Liars,' and if you were anywhere near Tumblr or BookTok in the past decade, you already know this one has a grip on people. E. Lockhart's best-selling novel became a huge hit thanks to its haunting prose, twisty plot, and that ending no one saw coming. Now, it's getting the TV treatment and hits Prime Video on June 18. 'We Were Liars' follows a wealthy family spending their summers on a private island, where a group of teens get themselves tangled in secrets, love, and a shocking mystery that changes everything. Even the premise alone has convinced me to add it to my watchlist. You may like We Were Liars - Official Teaser | Prime Video - YouTube Watch On Emily Alyn Lind takes on the role of Cadence Sinclair, the main character and narrator of the story. At first, it all looks like a dreamy summer escape (think 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' vibes) but it doesn't take long for things to shift into something much darker and more unsettling. Lockhart's novel came out in 2014 and soon became a favorite among teen readers, earning it a spot on the New York Times YA bestseller list for more than 40 weeks. Fans of the book already know what to expect. The story builds slowly, with bits of memory and emotion slipping through the cracks. This trailer gives just enough to stir that familiar feeling: a golden summer, the pretty people with perfect lives, and that weird sense that something's not quite right. Whether you've read it or not, it looks like the show could keep us guessing all the way through. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 'We Were Liars' on Prime Video — here's what we know (Image credit: Prime Video) Along with the trailer and release date, Prime Video also released an official synopsis: 'Based on the best-selling novel by E. Lockhart, We Were Liars, the series follows Cadence Sinclair Eastman and her tight-knit inner circle, nicknamed the Liars, during their summer escapades on her grandfather's New England private island. 'The Sinclairs are American royalty — known for their good looks, old money, and enviable bond — but after a mysterious accident changes Cadence's life forever, everyone, including her beloved Liars, seems to have something to hide.' The entire eight-episode limited series will be available to stream starting June 18, 2025, only on Prime Video, and will be accessible in over 240 countries and regions. (Image credit: Jessie Redmond / Prime Video) Lind stars as Cadence Sinclair, with Shubham Maheshwari playing Gat, Esther McGregor as Mirren Sinclair, and Joseph Zada portraying Johnny Sinclair. The adult cast includes Caitlin FitzGerald as Penny Sinclair, Mamie Gummer as Carrie Sinclair, Candice King as Bess Sinclair, Rahul Kohli as Ed, and David Morse as Harris Sinclair. 'We Were Liars' is written and executive produced by co-showrunners Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie. Emily Cummins, Brett Matthews, Pascal Verschooris, and author E. Lockhart also serve as executive producers for the series. Plec is set to adapt the prequel novel as well, which dives into the hidden history of another generation of the Sinclair family. In a recent interview with Deadline, she teased that there are already plans for a potential season 2, which could explore more of the storyline from Family of Liars: 'I think fans of the book are going to be very, very happy, because I think we hit all the marks and all the beats that the book does, and then also expand the universe. 'Layers upon layers upon layers to really make the adult characters really nuanced and really multi-layered, and to set the stage for season 2, which theoretically is going to take us deeper into the moms' lives as well and add another generation to the story.' (Image credit: Jessie Redmond / Prime) For those who haven't read the book yet, don't be tempted to search up more plot details online. The twists and turns in 'We Were Liars' are best experienced without knowing what's coming. If you're curious, it's definitely worth going into the show blind, as discovering the mystery along with the characters is half the fun. With a chilling new trailer that teases plenty of dark secrets and emotional twists, 'We Were Liars' is shaping up to be a must-watch next month, and I know I've already added it to my watchlist. 'We Were Liars' debuts on Prime Video on June 18. In the meantime, see what got added to the platform in May 2025 for more streaming recommendations. More from Tom's Guide
