Secrets & Lies
Back
Secrets & Lies

Secrets & Lies

7.6/ 10

TMDB Rating

716

Votes

IMDb

View on IMDb →

1996

Release Year

142 min

Runtime

Drama

Overview

After her adoptive mother dies, Hortense, a successful black optometrist, seeks out her birth mother. She's shocked when her research leads her to Cynthia, a working class white woman.

Keywords

london, england
parent child relationship
adoption
socially deprived family
reunion
candid
loving

Trailer

Images

Secrets & Lies image 1Secrets & Lies image 2Secrets & Lies image 3Secrets & Lies image 4Secrets & Lies image 5Secrets & Lies image 6Secrets & Lies image 7Secrets & Lies image 8Secrets & Lies image 9Secrets & Lies image 10Secrets & Lies image 11Secrets & Lies image 12

Reviews(5)

8.0avg rating
C

CRCulver

May 27, 2018

8
8/10

SECRETS AND LIES is a 1996 film by Mike Leigh that, appropriately enough, is concerned with the things that members of a family conceal from each other. Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a black woman in London who has made a successful career as an optician, knew from a young age that she was a

Full review
Peter McGinn

Peter McGinn

@narrator56

August 23, 2020

10
10/10

If I ever get around to drawing up a list of my top 25 favorite non-blockbuster movies, Secrets and Lies would roll in very near the top. I have watched it a few times and expect I will continue to do so periodically. The acting is phenomenal. It is an ensemble cast, for sure, no superstars, but

Full review
Filipe Manuel Neto

Filipe Manuel Neto

@FilipeManuelNeto

May 20, 2023

6
6/10

**A good work, currently forgotten.** Just when I think I've seen all sorts of movies about racism, issues of race or prejudice, there's something new that comes out of nowhere, or some meritorious, well-made effort that's worth seeing. This film, initially, seemed to me just a sweet and average

Full review
griggs79

griggs79

December 2, 2024

9
9/10

_Secrets & Lies_ is a compelling film that delves into the themes of family, identity, and the profound impact of shame on relationships. It skillfully intertwines raw emotion with a sense of honesty that reverberates throughout the narrative. The performances are remarkably authentic, fostering a s

Full review
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

December 26, 2025

7
7/10

I reckon the fact that so many nations put this on their awards radar must suggest a lot of resonance with families, not just in Britain, who are having to come to terms with a myriad of contentious circumstances as they try to live day to day. This centres around the drink-loving “Cynthia” (Brenda

Full review

Download Subtitles

🌐

Looking for subtitles in another language? Browse all subtitles in 50+ languages →