Juego Perverso

I find it hard to rate a movie when the first ~90% of the film is excellent, well-acted and extremely watchable. I also get very angry when so much effort is made to produce a great film only to ruin it with an ending that's so far-fetched that it feels a troll wrote it.

I was drawn to this film because the premise looked good and one of the leads was Mireille Enos (who I absolutely adore: have seen her work in 'The Killing', 'Hanna', 'Good Omens' and 'World War Z').

Enos, Peter Sarsgaard and Joey King were brilliant and compelling in their performances. The first ~90% of the film was easily an 8 rating. The atrocious ending which lasted (if I recall) about 10 minutes was a 1 rating. The final actions of the daughter were inline with the plot. I didn't have an issue with this and I think most viewers would agree when they really think about it. The entire premise is built around the choices a teen makes...

It is the actions of the parents during the final minutes that leave you questioning the worth of this film.

Should you watch this? I think yes (though my overall rating is a 5 but the first 90% of the film is an 8). The drama is superb, Enos & Sarsgaard were incredible, and out of a 90 minute film - I'm certain you'll love (and be glued into) the first 80 minutes of it. Just be prepared for the crash and burn landing.

This is one of those movies that makes you repeatedly think 'What the hell?' Like the girl running away from the father. She gets away then starts waking down the residential street one block away. Who the hell goes one block away and then out into the open?? And who walks down the middle of the street? I can honestly say that I have never walked down the middle of any street. Then when she sees the car behind her coming fast she starts running while staying in the street. Wtf?? That's this movie in a nutshell. Ridiculous scenarios that are just not believable.

Viewers must be able to differentiate between good acting and how the movie made them feel! Most parents know exactly that teenage behaviours can be obnoxious and intolerable and watching this movie reminded them of that! That does not mean that the story is not good. In fact the movie poses the very important "what would you do " question.. I am certain that the answers are easier said than done!

Only real reason I'm writing this is to counter everyone else's absurdly angry reviews. This was a decent story, well acted, and no I didn't know where it was going. I went along with the ride. People are mad at the plot because the parents did stupid things... well, people do stupid things. Isn't that the point? Also, if a movie inspired a reaction from you... isn't that also the point?

I've got three teenagers, and by experience, you don't need a movie to remind you that they can be obnoxiously rebellious and unpredictable. "The Lie" takes that to an extreme where the parents make very stupid decisions to cover up their daughter's misdeeds.

The majority of the movie is protecting that lie to harrowing results. The finale is a face-palm moment where you think, as a potential parent, that "I would've done that so different!" Or maybe not?