Overview
A former convict returns home, only to find his past still haunting him and love on the line.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- deadpan
- witty
- awkward
- indie film night
- offbeat date night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a distinctive, sharply written independent romantic comedy-drama with an unusual style and strong performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Audry and Josh’s courtship unfolds through dry, unusual exchanges and emotionally restrained performances.
Josh’s return is shadowed by gossip about his murder conviction, while no one can clearly recall what happened.
The Action Features production uses a compact small-town setting and stylized interpersonal scenes characteristic of Hal Hartley’s early independent cinema.
The guarded ex-con Josh and the eccentric Audry form a bond despite family distrust and local gossip.
Films like The Unbelievable Truth, and why
Trust
deadpan romantic comedy, eccentric small-town characters, and minimalist independent filmmaking
Simple Men
quirky romance, stylized dialogue, and emotionally detached yet sincere character dynamics
Stranger Than Paradise
offbeat romantic comedy, outsider protagonists, and dry social observation
Movie Details
- Director
- Hal Hartley
- Release Date
- 1990-07-20
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (133)
Cast
- Adrienne Shelly
- Robert John Burke
- Chris Cooke
- Julia McNeal
- Katherine Mayfield
- Gary Sauer
- Mark Chandler Bailey
- David Healy
- Matt Malloy
- Edie Falco
Common questions
- What is The Unbelievable Truth about?
- A guarded ex-con and an unconventional young woman find an unlikely romance amid small-town gossip and family suspicion.
- What is The Unbelievable Truth like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Unbelievable Truth as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Unbelievable Truth violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Unbelievable Truth as mild.
- What did critics think of The Unbelievable Truth?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a distinctive, sharply written independent romantic comedy-drama with an unusual style and strong performances.
- Which films are like The Unbelievable Truth?
- Films with a similar feel include Trust, Simple Men, and Stranger Than Paradise.
- How long is The Unbelievable Truth?
- The Unbelievable Truth runs 90 minutes.
