Overview
A teenager grapples with loss and self-discovery amidst chaos and crime.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- unsettling
- intimate
- serious film night
- indie cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a well-acted, unsettling examination of a vulnerable boy's relationship with a pedophile.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Howie navigates bereavement, juvenile delinquency, sexual secrecy, and predatory adult attention while forming an unstable sense of self.
Middle-class Long Island neighborhoods and Big John's public reputation contrast sharply with the hidden conduct surrounding the characters.
The film examines Howie's relationship with Big John through an uneasy, character-focused dramatic register rather than genre-style shock.
Gary's secret existence and Big John's hidden secrets reshape Howie's understanding of friendship, adulthood, and trust.
Films like L.I.E., and why
Mysterious Skin
unsettling adolescent alienation, sexual danger, and morally ambiguous coming of age
Kids
teen delinquency, working-class disaffection, and raw social realism
Happiness
disturbing youth perspective, predatory adult relationships, and compassionate character drama
Pariah
lgbtq-related coming of age, outsider identity, and emotionally difficult adolescence
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Cuesta
- Release Date
- 2001-09-07
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (148)
Cast
- Paul Dano
- Bruce Altman
- Brian Cox
- Billy Kay
- James Costa
- Tony Michael Donnelly
- Walter Masterson
- Adam LeFevre
- Chance Kelly
- Marcia DeBonis
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is L.I.E. about?
- A grieving Long Island teenager drifts into burglary and dangerous adult entanglements while searching for identity in a world of concealed lives.
- What is L.I.E. like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of L.I.E. as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is L.I.E. violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in L.I.E. as mild.
- What did critics think of L.I.E.?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a well-acted, unsettling examination of a vulnerable boy's relationship with a pedophile.
- Which films are like L.I.E.?
- Films with a similar feel include Mysterious Skin, Kids, Happiness, and Pariah.
- How long is L.I.E.?
- L.I.E. runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch L.I.E.?
- In United States, L.I.E. is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
