BBC iPlayer has just made a riveting crime drama available to stream for free, and you won’t want to miss it.
Not only is the film based on a hit crime novel by Sunday Times bestselling author Nicholas Searle, it also features the first on-screen collaboration of British icons Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen.
McKellen takes on the role of an ageing conman who sets his sights on one last score: a wealthy widow portrayed by Mirren.
However, once he’s immersed himself in the con, the grandson of his target starts to suspect something isn’t quite right.
If that premise sounds intriguing, make sure to tune into The Good Liar on BBC iPlayer as soon as possible for many more twists and turns that will take your breath away.
Films typically remain on the streaming platform for 30 days after they first air, so make sure to catch this unpredictable thriller before the holiday season officially gets underway.
The Guardian included the film on their list of underrated movies you probably haven’t seen from 2019.
“It’s not just very well made, it’s also supremely entertaining – one of few films I’ve seen in recent years where I really wanted to know what happens next,” Catherine Shoard wrote.
“This isn’t a knowing homage like Knives Out nor a glossily postmodern box of secrets, like Pain and Glory,” she adds.
“It’s just a straight-down-the-line thriller, built on a nest of twists, perched on shifting sands. It won’t especially make you cry or laugh, or think differently about the world. But it completely commands your attention.”
Critic Peter Bradshaw also agreed with the assessment, writing for the same publication at time of release: “This mystery thriller is outrageous and irresistible, an old-fashioned drama with dashes of Patricia Highsmith, Patrick Hamilton, John le Carré and maybe Elizabeth Jane Howard’s memoir Slipstream.”
He also adds the film features “delicious” lead performances by McKellen and Mirren, and it “rattles along with terrific energy and dash and the flashback sequences show that it’s actually far more daring and ambitious that you might expect.
“It’s a great duel between McKellen and Mirren,” he concludes.
Variety called The Good Liar a “delectably clever and civilised con-artist thriller”.
And viewers have also been raving about the movie online, with one Letterboxd user exclaiming: “Amazing movie!! Definitely recommend watching it. Love the twist and the ending, it adds so much more to the characters.”
While another fan raved: “Now, THAT’S a good thriller.
“The Good Liar is an unpredictable, tightly crafted and well-acted ‘hitchcockian’ thriller that had me on the edge of my seat throughout most of its runtime.”
Brace yourself for jaw-dropping reveals if you strap in for The Good Liar this weekend.
The Good Liar is available to stream on BBC iPlayer and Netflix.
