The Lie (2018) - Nice idea, but stretched too long

In a cinematic world where many of the biggest films involve - literally - the universe being at stake (or at least 50% of its population potentially wiped from existence) sometimes it's nice to watch a story where the stakes are, not so much minimal, but at least personal.

I hope it's not too much of a spoiler to say that 'The Lie' is about a teenage girl who 'accidentally' kills her best friend.  Distraught, her separated parents decide to cover it up at all costs.

The nice thing about this movie is that it's a concept that most of us should be able to relate to.  We may never hold the fate of the universe in our gloved hand, but we all have family we care about and how far would we go to protect them, even if they'd done something we knew was wrong?

It's this premise that makes the film watchable and should have most people sticking to the end.  Not that I'm saying it's perfect.  The simple story comes with the downside that it's not that easy to stretch it out for over ninety minutes and it's hardly a rollercoaster of excitement and thrills.  Plus the daughter isn't the easiest person to root for.  Perhaps if she was a nicer character you could empathise with the parents as they go to great lengths to protect her, but part of - at least - me half thinks that she's such an unlikable youngster that she should simply just be thrown to the police and left to rot.

However, if you're in the mood for a slow burner with some moral choices which will get you talking, you could do worse than this one.

6/10 Should probably keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights