Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama We Were Liars, which brings E. Lockhart’s beloved young adult novel to life in what might be Prime Video’s most haunting series of 2025. This isn’t just another teen drama – it’s a psychological thriller that explores family dysfunction, privilege, and the devastating power of buried secrets.
The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on June 18, 2025, delivering what appears to be a limited series format with episodes averaging around 45 minutes each. We Were Liars is created by Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie, adapting Lockhart’s bestselling novel that captivated readers with its unreliable narrator and shocking revelations. The show maintains the book’s atmospheric tension while expanding the narrative to explore the complex dynamics of the wealthy Sinclair family.
The story follows 17-year-old Cadence who returns to Beechwood, an island off Martha’s Vineyard, one year after a mysterious accident left her with amnesia, seeking answers about what really happened. Set against the backdrop of a privileged family’s private summer retreat, the series delves into themes of memory, trauma, and the lies we tell ourselves to survive. Prime Video’s adaptation captures the novel’s dreamlike quality while adding visual layers that enhance the mystery’s psychological depth.
The Sinclair Family’s Dark Summer Paradise
We Were Liars centers around the Sinclair family’s annual summer gatherings at their private island estate, Beechwood. The core group includes Cadence (Emily Alyn Lind), Johnny (Joseph Zada), Mirren (Esther McGregor), and Gat (Shubham Maheshwari), who call themselves “The Liars”. What begins as an idyllic summer reunion becomes a haunting investigation as Cadence struggles to piece together the events that led to her memory loss.
The island setting becomes almost a character itself, representing both the beauty and isolation that wealth can create. The series excels at showing how privilege can become a prison, with the Sinclair family’s perfect facade hiding generations of dysfunction, competition, and buried resentments that eventually explode into tragedy.
Cadence’s Journey: Emily Alyn Lind’s Compelling Performance
Emily Alyn Lind delivers a nuanced performance as Cadence “Cady” Sinclair Eastman, the eldest grandchild who suffers from memory loss after the accident. Lind masterfully portrays a young woman caught between her desperate need to remember and her subconscious desire to forget. Her performance anchors the series, making Cadence’s confusion and determination equally compelling.
Cadence’s evolution throughout the series showcases Lind’s range as she navigates flashbacks, present-day investigations, and the gradual horror of recovered memories. The character’s journey from privileged teenager to someone forced to confront uncomfortable truths about her family creates the emotional core of We Were Liars.
Gat’s Outsider Perspective: Love and Social Commentary
Shubham Maheshwari plays Gat, the nephew of Carrie’s longtime boyfriend Ed, who represents an outsider’s view of the Sinclair family dynamics. Gat serves as both Cadence’s first love and the series’ moral compass, highlighting the family’s casual racism and classism through his experiences as the only person of color in their privileged circle.
Maheshwari brings depth to what could have been a simple love interest role, showing how Gat’s relationship with Cadence becomes complicated by family politics and social expectations. His character represents the series’ broader themes about privilege, inclusion, and the cost of speaking truth to power.
When Memory Becomes the Enemy
The series builds to devastating revelations that recontextualize everything viewers thought they knew about the Sinclair family and the accident. The climactic episodes reveal how collective trauma and family loyalty can create devastating conspiracies of silence. These moments showcase the ensemble cast’s ability to shift from depicting a loving family to revealing the toxic dynamics beneath their perfect surface.
The revelation scenes are particularly powerful, demonstrating how We Were Liars uses its mystery structure to explore deeper themes about mental health, family violence, and the lengths people go to protect their image. The series doesn’t shy away from the psychological impact of recovered memories and family betrayal.
Success on Prime Video
We Were Liars has found its audience on Prime Video by delivering exactly what fans of psychological thrillers crave: a mystery that respects its viewers’ intelligence while providing genuine emotional stakes. Based on the acclaimed YA novel by E. Lockhart, Prime Video’s adaptation has been praised as a haunting and compelling series about legacy, memory and lies. The series benefits from Prime Video’s commitment to book adaptations, giving the story room to breathe while maintaining the novel’s atmospheric tension. We Were Liars stands out in the crowded field of young adult adaptations by treating its themes with maturity and refusing to simplify complex family dynamics.
Your Next Prime Video Obsession
If you love psychological mysteries with family dysfunction at their core, We Were Liars is the perfect series to binge on Prime Video. The show combines the best elements of teen drama with genuine psychological thriller elements, creating a viewing experience that will haunt you long after the credits roll. Emily Alyn Lind and the ensemble cast deliver performances that elevate the material beyond typical young adult fare.
Why This Prime Video Series Deserves Your Attention
We Were Liars succeeds because it understands that the most effective horror comes from realistic family dynamics pushed to their breaking point. This series proves that young adult stories can tackle serious themes without talking down to their audience, creating a mystery that works on multiple levels for viewers of all ages.
Series Details
Number of Episodes: 8 (Limited Series)
Platform: Prime Video
Release Year: 2025
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10 (estimated based on early reviews)
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Drama, Mystery
Status: Limited Series (Complete)
Main Cast: Emily Alyn Lind, Shubham Maheshwari, Esther McGregor, Joseph Zada, Mamie Gummer, Caitlin FitzGerald, Candice King
Antagonist: Family dysfunction and buried secrets (no traditional villain)