In a cold New York city—possibly Buffalo—a musician father (Peter Sarsgaard) and his former spouse, who is an attorney (Mireille Enos), invent a story to protect their daughter (Joey King) from significant legal trouble. However, one deception triggers another and... “The Lie” (2018) falls into the drama category with crime thriller aspects; it’s essentially a cautionary narrative similar to “A Simple Plan” (1998)…

It occurred to me to rename it “The Making of a Serial Killer” near the very end, and then I altered that decision just a few moments afterward. It’s remarkable how completely wild the finale was.

The acting was decent, though not particularly memorable. The film culminates in a rather bleak twist, and I felt unsettled for the duration of its ninety minutes. Even though I found myself invested in both the narrative and the people within it, there’s an elusive quality that prevented everything from fully clicking into place. **3.0/5**