This 2019 thriller starring Ian McKellen has been hailed by fans and it is streaming on Netflix. The Good Liar is a crime thriller directed and produced by Bill Condon and written by Jeffrey Hatcher. It is based on the Nicholas Searle’s 2015 novel of the same name. It stars McKellen as a career con artist who meets a wealthy widow, played by Helen Mirren, online, and who then unravels his plan to steal her fortune only to realise, of course there are even more twists and turns sprinkeld throughout the film.
The film’s synopsis reads: “Career con artist Roy Courtnay can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do widow Betty McLeish online. As Betty opens her life and home to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life.”
The fans have hailed this movie as “outstanding” and awarded it with a high 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
One fan said: “One of the best thrillers I’ve seen in a long time. keeps you guessing until the very end.”
Another fan wrote in their review: “An outstanding cast and a great story. I had to watch it again in the same week. An unpredictable story line that is engaging and well paced. The best movie I have seen in a while.”
“An absolutely enjoyable, eventful, brain twisting movie with fantastic actors. Not the most exciting in history but certainly a great one,” another fan added.
However, the critics are slightly less convinced, opting to award the film 64%. Their consensus states: “The Good Liar is less than the sum of its prestigious parts, but Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren keep the proceedings consistently watchable.
One critic said: “The Good Liar is ultimately a near-miss that offers up a few reasonable diversions along the way, the main one being the inspired pairing of the two leads.”
Another critic said: “The Good Liar shifts our character sympathies so fully that you’ll relish the comeuppance on display, but the script telegraphs the emotional impact of this twist.”
The Good Liar is available to stream now on Netflix.