Lies We Tell
In this smart modern reworking of Sheridan Le Fanu’s gothic novel “Uncle Silas,” an orphaned heiress who intends to make good on her inheritance is forced to take care of her uncle and his family, only to learn that they have sinister ulterior motives.
Before the May 19 screening, join the Irish Heritage Club at Kells Restaurant & Bar for a pre-party from 4:00-6:00pm!
In the wake of her father’s death, 18-year-old Maud (Agnes O’Casey) inherits Knowl, a prosperous yet secluded country estate; or rather, she will upon coming of age at 21. Until then, it is necessary for a trustee to serve her interests. Enter dear Uncle Silas, revealed to be Maud’s intended guardian in her father’s will, despite his alarming reputation. Rumors of an infamous past—gambling debts, rakishness, and even murder—have forced him into a pariah’s existence. Accompanying Silas to Knowl are his shiftless son Edward, flighty daughter Emily, and a stark governess known only as Madame. Instead of a household enlivened by new members, an atmosphere of oppression pervades. Silas’s initial gentility gives way as his true intentions become evident: secure what he sees as his rightful inheritance, ideally through nuptials between Maud and Edward. Should that fail, darker methods are available. Escalating dangers and violent assaults ignite the young heiress’s resolve to fight for her birthright, and as family secrets are revealed, the full force of Maud’s righteous fury is unleashed. Based on Sheridan Le Fanu’s classic Gothic novel, Lies We Tell reimagines the genre’s women-in-peril foundations through a distinctly feminist lens, empowering its heroine to seize her own fortune and fate.
- Director: Lisa Mulcahy
- Principal Cast: Agnes O’Casey, David Wilmot, Chris Walley, Holly Sturton, Gráinne Keenan
- Country: Ireland
- Year: 2023
- Running Time: 89 min.
- Producer: Ruth Carter
- Screenplay: Elisabeth Gooch
- Cinematographers: Eleanor Bowman
- Editors: Weronika Kaminska
- Music: Aza Hand
- Awards: Galway Film Fleadh 2023 (Best Cinematography, Irish Feature)
- Filmography: Wasteland (2018), The Legend of Longwood (2014)
- Language: English
- US Distributor: Quiver
- International Sales: Embankment Films