I really liked We Were Liars, now streaming on Amazon Prime in a tight and bingeable eight-episode season. It had a moody, mysterious vibe that pulled me in right from the start.
This young adult psychological thriller is based on the best-selling novel by E. Lockhart and brings the story to life with haunting visuals and emotional depth.
Cadence Sinclair (Emily Alyn Lind) is recovering from a traumatic brain injury and trying to remember what happened during “Summer 16”, the summer she was 16 years old. She has no memory of what caused her injury or who might have been involved. Her family refuses to talk about it, leaving her to piece things together on her own.
The show begins with a striking image: Cadence lies unconscious and barely clothed on the beach near the Sinclair estate on their private island, Beechwood. She becomes the series’ narrator and introduces us to her family.
She’s joined on the island by her cousins Johnny (Joseph Zada) and Mirren (Esther McGregor), and her best friend (and love interest) Gat (Shubham Maheshwari). The four of them call themselves “the Liars” and have spent every summer together on the island since they were children since “Summer 8.”
Beechwood is owned by Cadence’s wealthy grandfather Harris. Her mother Tipper’s there on the island with her as well. Her aunts Carrie and Bess are also staying there, along with Carrie’s partner Ed (Gat’s uncle). While Cadence is an only child, Johnny and Mirren have younger siblings, affectionately referred to as “the Littles.”
As the series shifts into Summer 17, Cadence begins to recall fragmented memories from Summer 16 the summer that changed everything.
There’s rising tension among the adult sisters, secrets between the Liars, and a romance blooming between Cadence and Gat but as Cadence pieces together the puzzle, it becomes clear that nothing is what it seems.
The cast does a fantastic job capturing the emotional weight of the story. Emily Alyn Lind brings vulnerability and strength to Cadence, while the chemistry between the Liars feels genuine. The setting is absolutely stunning. Beechwood is beautiful but eerie, creating the perfect backdrop for the unraveling mystery.
Then there’s the twist.
It was brilliant. Completely unexpected. It flipped everything on its head and made me see the entire series differently. I bawled my eyes out when the truth was revealed. It hit me hard.
That said, after some reflection, I felt the twist didn’t totally hold up. A few moments didn’t quite make sense in hindsight, and it seemed like some details were bent to serve the reveal rather than the other way around. Still, the emotional impact was so strong that I didn’t mind too much it stayed with me long after I finished watching.
We Were Liars explores how the illusion of a perfect childhood often comes at a hidden cost. It shows how youthful ideals like righteousness and naivety can become dangerous and even destructive. We grow, we learn that time and experience often reveal painful truths about ourselves and the people we trust most.
In the end, this series is more than just a teen drama. It’s a tragic, beautifully told story about memory, grief, family, and the lies we tell ourselves to survive.