Secrets & Lies
A black optometrist’s search for her birth mother exposes the fragile secrets, class wounds, and possibility of healing within an extended London family.
Overview
A poignant exploration of identity and belonging unfolds as two women from vastly different worlds come together.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- candid
- intimate
- painful
- reflective evening
- character drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Mike Leigh’s naturalistic family drama as a powerful and accessible achievement, distinguished by delicate social observation and extraordinary ensemble acting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hortense’s search for her birth mother progressively uncovers secrets affecting Cynthia and the wider Purley family.
Cynthia’s poverty and regret contrast with Hortense’s professional success and influence the family’s painful interactions.
Hortense, a successful black optometrist, discovers that her biological mother Cynthia is white and living in poverty in East London.
The film’s candid family skirmishes and emotionally sustained scenes resemble overheard real-life conversations.
Films like Secrets & Lies, and why
Another Year
socially observant british family drama centered on buried histories, emotional confrontation, and exceptional ensemble acting
Vera Drake
intimate working-class british drama using naturalistic performances to explore family tension, loneliness, and emotional repair
The Celebration
candid, humane family drama about identity, class, and painful revelations unfolding through extended interpersonal scenes
Movie Details
- Director
- Mike Leigh
- Release Date
- 1996-05-24
- Runtime
- 142 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (755)
Cast
- Brenda Blethyn
- Marianne Jean-Baptiste
- Timothy Spall
- Phyllis Logan
- Claire Rushbrook
- Lee Ross
- Lesley Manville
- Elizabeth Berrington
- Michele Austin
- Ron Cook
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Secrets & Lies about?
- A black optometrist’s search for her birth mother exposes the fragile secrets, class wounds, and possibility of healing within an extended London family.
- What is Secrets & Lies like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Secrets & Lies as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Secrets & Lies violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Secrets & Lies.
- What did critics think of Secrets & Lies?
- Critics broadly regard Mike Leigh’s naturalistic family drama as a powerful and accessible achievement, distinguished by delicate social observation and extraordinary ensemble acting.
- Which films are like Secrets & Lies?
- Films with a similar feel include Another Year, Vera Drake, and The Celebration.
- How long is Secrets & Lies?
- Secrets & Lies runs 142 minutes.
- Where can I watch Secrets & Lies?
- In United States, Secrets & Lies streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
