**_Oh, what a tangled web we weave_** In an unspecified wintery city in New York, likely Buffalo, a musician father (Peter Sarsgaard) and his ex-wife, a lawyer (Mireille Enos), concoct a lie to save their daughter (Joey King) from serious legal ramifications, but one lie leads to another and... “The Lie” (2018) is a drama with crime thriller elements, a morality tale in the vein of “A Simple Plan” (1998), albeit with an altogether different story. Like “Match Point” (2005), it’s a dramatic snowball that builds to avalanche proportions, manipulating you into rooting for the protagonists despite their dubious decisions in a life-changing situation. Armchair critics contend that the set-up is unbelievable, but we’re talking about mid-teenage girls here, who are subject to all kinds of questionable whims rooted in immature emotions. Look no further than Taylor Smith, who pushed Jordan Holgerson off a bridge at Moulton Falls near Vancouver, Washington, on August 7, 2018 (see the video on Youtube). As for the potential transgression in question, look up what happened to 16 year-old Skylar Neese on the night of July 5, 2012, in the Morgantown, West Virginia, area, which is featured on the real-life crime series See No Evil, Season 1, Episode 6. The less I say, the better. If you like films like the two noted above and "The River King" (2005), "Snow Angels" (2007), “Frozen River” (2008) and "The Drowning" (2016), check this one out. The movie runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot in the Toronto area. GRADE: A-

I re-titled this, "The Making of a Serial Killer" with about 10 minutes left, then 5 minutes later changed my mind. Wow, what an insane ending.

Performances were pretty good if not unexceptional. The twist ending is pretty dark and I did have a queasy feeling throughout its entire 90-minute running time. However, despite being engaged with the story and characters, and I can't my finger on it, just something didn't quite gel. **3.0/5**