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Lies We Tell

Name: Lies We Tell
Director: Mitu Misra
Released: 2018
Duration: 109 min

Representation Score

4.3/10

Fair

2018

Director

Mitu Misra

Runtime

109 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Lies We Tell disrupts genre homogeneity by centering a Muslim female lead within a high-stakes crime thriller. By focusing on religious and ethnic specificity, the film avoids the typical Anglo-centric lens often found in Western suspense films. However, the film remains tied to traditional genre conventions. The reliance on heterosexual romantic clichés and male-driven violence limits its ability to offer radical systemic subversion. Ultimately, the work provides a meaningful departure from mainstream archetypes through its cultural specificity, even while operating within familiar narrative structures of crime and romance.

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Category Breakdown

Does Lies We Tell have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The story focuses on a heterosexual relationship involving a mistress. There is no evidence of LGBTQ+ identities or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does Lies We Tell portray gender?

Fair

A woman's past drives the plot. While she plays a key role, the presence of male antagonists suggests traditional power dynamics may persist.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Lies We Tell?

Good

The film centers a Muslim protagonist within a crime thriller framework. This shifts the narrative away from Anglo-centric perspectives and disrupts conventional Western clichés.

How does Lies We Tell represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative explores complex morality through a non-Western religious identity. It prioritizes situational ethics and the deconstruction of truth over standard Western moralizing.

Does Lies We Tell include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Meaningfully includes a Muslim protagonist within a crime thriller framework.
Disrupts Western-centric clichés by centering non-Anglo perspectives.
Provides cultural specificity through the intersection of religious identity and the criminal underworld.

Limited or Absent

Relies on traditional heterosexual romantic clichés and straight-centered structures.
Operates within established genre conventions of male-driven violence and power dynamics.
Lacks evidence of diverse representation regarding physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

A trusted driver must deal with his dead boss's Muslim mistress, her dark past pulling him into a life-and-death showdown with her notorious gangster cousin/ex-husband.

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