What Is Lying About?
The premise of Lying in 302 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the quiet stretch of upstate New York, a secluded country house becomes the backdrop for a long weekend that gathers five women under a single roof. The isolation is palpable—no phone lines, no city noise—leaving only the rustle of trees and the soft hum of distant wildlife to fill the gaps between conversation. The setting feels both inviting and unsettling, a place where the serene landscape masks the subtle currents of unspoken tension.
Megan is the host, an heiress who has inherited the sprawling estate from her late parents. She moves through the house with an effortless grace, offering thoughtful gestures that seem designed to cement a sense of calm. Yet her polished exterior hints at a desire to keep a tight grip on the weekend’s rhythm, suggesting that control may be as much a part of her personality as hospitality.
The other guests arrive from different corners of Megan’s life. Linda joins from a yoga class, bringing a grounded, soothing presence that contrasts with the more inquisitive energy of Grace, a museum intern whose curiosity often turns probing. Hella, another intern, balances gentle humor with an observant quietness, while Sarah, the neighbor who watches from the edge of the property, adds an undercurrent of watchful proximity. Each woman arrives with her own story, and their interactions begin as polite exchanges that gradually reveal layers of personality and hidden motives.
The film unfolds with a tone that blends idyllic countryside charm with an undercurrent of unease. The weekend becomes a delicate dance of social niceties, where smiles and small talk conceal deeper uncertainties. As the women navigate the space between trust and suspicion, the audience is invited to feel the subtle shift from calm to curiosity, wondering just how many untold stories linger behind the placid surface of this isolated retreat.
What Happens in Lying?
The complete story of Lying, from the first scene to the last, in 553 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 4 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Megan, Chloë Sevigny, an heiress, invites Linda, Maya Goldsmith, from her yoga class, and Grace, Jena Malone, and Hella, Halley Wegryn Gross, two interns from her museum job, to spend a weekend at her expansive country home in upstate New York. The group arrives together, and Megan prepares a meal which they eat outside at a picnic table. She notes that the phone lines are down, effectively cutting them off from the outside world for the weekend. Grace peppers Megan with probing questions during dinner, focusing on Megan’s deceased parents from whom she inherited the house, while Hella gently chides her for being confrontational. Megan gifts each woman a crystal garden she has prepared in a jar, setting a quiet, almost ritual tone for their secluded stay.
That night, the four women wander the woods, and a tense moment arises when Henry, Megan’s brother, arrives unannounced, startling them. The next morning, Megan encounters a young boy in the woods who says he is lost and explains that he was camping with his family, sharing a hopeful want to join the army someday. Meanwhile, Sarah, the neighbor who borders Megan’s property, watches from her kitchen, then steps outside to wave flags in the air to catch their attention, though they don’t notice. The group passes the time with a game of croquet, and Megan mentions that Henry is hard at work on a novel, while Linda recalls that he was once in a band, revealing cracks in Megan’s stories. Later, Megan catches Hella attempting to use the phone, hinting at the fragile control Megan maintains over the weekend.
That night, after the wine flows freely, a mysterious chorus of a woman’s singing travels through the house, prompting the women to chase the source in a kind of eerie game. When Megan follows the sound to the fireplace, the voice abruptly vanishes. The next morning, they stage a video art project outdoors, a collaborative, experimental moment that Sarah observes before Megan ushers her away. Megan insists that Sarah’s concerns aren’t pressing, explains there will be no morning visit from her parents, and invites Sarah to join breakfast the next day.
Grace, ever curious, snoops around and discovers Megan’s passport tucked away. During dinner, the conversation shifts to Sarah, and Megan asserts that she purchased the plot of land next to Sarah’s property and had the old house rebuilt. Grace questions the plausibility of Megan’s claims, noting the house’s apparent age. Megan’s tall tales intensify when she claims that locusts migrate to the Arctic each year, a claim Grace challenges. More troubling, Grace later reveals to Hella and Linda a cache of bills and papers she found in a drawer, which suggests Megan has been lying about owning the house.
The four women depart in the morning, leaving Megan alone with Sarah. Sarah visits the kitchen breakfast area and learns that the other women have already left for the city. She then tells Megan that a young boy, who had gone missing while camping nearby with his family, was found, claiming he had seen a woman who refused to help him; authorities describe the incident as a hallucination. Megan remains tight-lipped about any encounter with the boy, and the two finally head back inside to begin breakfast, leaving the weekend’s unsettling questions lingering in the air.
Lying Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Guests arrive and gather at Megan's estate” to “Breakfast with Sarah and the boy's claim”. 12 events name a place, across 9 locations.
- 1
Guests arrive and gather at Megan's estate
The group arrives at Megan's country home for a weekend. Megan prepares a meal and they eat together at a picnic table outside. She mentions that the phone lines are down, so they won't be able to contact anyone for the duration.
When:Evening Where:Megan's country home, upstate New York
- 2
Dinner reveals secrets and gifts
During dinner, Grace probes Megan about her deceased parents and the inheritance of the house. Hella chides Grace for being confrontational, while Megan distributes crystal gardens she prepared in jars to each guest. The conversation hints at secrets Megan keeps about her past.
When:Evening Where:Megan's dining area
- 3
First walk in the woods; surprise visit from Henry
The four women take a walk in the woods at night and feel unsettled when Megan's brother Henry arrives unannounced. Grace notes that Megan never mentioned having a brother, increasing tension among the group. The intrusion unsettles the women as they try to keep the weekend calm.
When:Night Where:Woods on Megan's property
- 4
Megan ejects her brother for a girls-only weekend
Megan asks Henry to leave that night, claiming that Hella's fiancé left her and that they need a girls-only weekend. Henry leaves reluctantly, and the women settle back into their plans for the retreat. The boundary between family and friends becomes a focal point of the evening.
When:Night Where:Near Megan's house
- 5
Morning encounter with a lost boy and neighbor Sarah
The next morning Megan encounters a young boy in the woods who says he is lost and wants to join the army. Neighbor Sarah watches from her kitchen and waves flags in a futile attempt to attract their attention. The women play croquet and discuss Henry's supposed pursuits, adding to the morning's mix of misdirections.
When:Morning Where:Woods on Megan's property; Sarah's kitchen
- 6
Hella tries to call for help
Later that day, Megan's guests grow uneasy as Hella is seen attempting to use the phone, suggesting the outside connection is still cut. Linda and Grace wonder about the strange layers of Megan's stories as tension builds. The sense of isolation tightens around the house.
When:Afternoon Where:Inside Megan's house
- 7
Night of eerie singing and a game of chase
That night the women get drunk on wine and hear a distant voice singing that seems to come from various places inside the house. They chase the sound, trying to locate its source, and it lures them toward the fireplace where the voice abruptly vanishes. The eerie audio game deepens their unease.
When:Night Where:Inside Megan's house
- 8
Video art project outside and breakfast invitation
The following morning they stage a video art project outside the house, drawing Sarah's attention. Sarah arrives again and Megan dismisses the interaction with a practiced politeness, asking about her deceased parents and a pending settlement. Megan invites Sarah to breakfast the next morning, planting a hint of normalcy amid tension.
When:Morning Where:Megan's front yard and around the house
- 9
Grace uncovers inconsistencies about Megan
Grace snoops around and finds Megan's passport hidden in a drawer, deepening suspicions about the house’s true ownership. In conversations that follow, the other guests challenge Megan's narrative about how the plot of land was acquired. The discovery fuels a growing sense that Megan has been hiding key truths.
When:Afternoon Where:Inside Megan's house
- 10
Dinner exposes more lies about ownership
During dinner, the guests discuss Sarah and the contested land, and Megan doubles down on a questionable claim about owning the house. Grace questions Megan's age, and the others sense the cracks in her narrative widening. The meal becomes a battleground of truth versus fabrication.
When:Evening Where:Dining room, Megan's house
- 11
Confrontation over papers and departure
In the morning, Grace, Hella, and Linda confront Megan with a cache of bills and paperwork proving she has lied about the house being hers, and the trio decides to leave. Megan remains composed as the women gather their things and prepare to depart, marking a turning point in the weekend's fragile dynamic.
When:Morning Where:Inside Megan's house
- 12
Breakfast with Sarah and the boy's claim
Sarah arrives for breakfast and Megan tells her that the others had to return to the city. Sarah explains that a missing boy was found nearby and claimed to have seen a woman who refused to help him, though authorities call it likely a hallucination. Megan does not acknowledge any encounter with him as they move into the house to prepare breakfast.
When:Morning Where:Megan's kitchen
Who Are the Main Characters in Lying?
5 characters, among them Megan (Chloë Sevigny), Grace (Jena Malone) and Sarah (Leelee Sobieski): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
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Megan (Chloë Sevigny)
Played by Chloë Sevigny
Megan is an heiress who hosts a weekend for her invited guests at her expansive country home. She projects control and privilege, hinting at a troubled family history while keeping the real ownership of the house opaque. She manipulates the group by creating a sense of isolation and secrecy, hinting at a hidden motive behind the weekend. Her willingness to lie about age and ownership reveals a calculating, self-protective streak.
- 🏡 Rich
- 🕵️♀️ Manipulative
- 🧪 Mysterious past
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Grace (Jena Malone)
Played by Jena Malone
Grace is an inquisitive museum intern who dives into Megan's past. She is perceptive and confronts Megan with questions about deceased parents and the house's ownership. When she finds incriminating documents, she pushes the others to leave, even as trust among the group cracks.
- 🧭 Curious
- 🔎 Skeptical
- 🧪 Investigative
-
Sarah (Leelee Sobieski)
Played by Leelee Sobieski
Sarah is a neighbor whose house borders Megan's property. She observes the women from her kitchen and interacts only sparingly, waving flags to attract attention. She becomes a passive witness to the escalating mystery, aware of the secrecy but not fully involved until the morning after the incident with the missing boy.
- 🧭 Neighbor
- 🕵️♀️ Observant
- 🧬 Indirectly involved
- H(
Hella (Halley Wegryn Gross)
Played by Halley Wegryn Gross
Hella is a fellow intern who participates in the weekend but remains emotionally restrained. She challenges Grace's confrontations and shares a bond with Megan, acting as both confidante and ally in maintaining the illusion. She remains cautious and tries to preserve the group's safety, even as the truth begins to surface.
- 🧭 Complicit
- 🗝️ Reserved
- 🧪 Analytical
- L(
Linda (Maya Goldsmith)
Played by Maya Goldsmith
Linda is another intern who is drawn into Megan's world but grows increasingly confused by the inconsistencies. She questions the narrative around the house and Megan's claims as photos, documents, and stories accumulate. Her presence helps catalyze the unraveling of Megan's carefully constructed image.
- 🧭 Curious
- 🔎 Skeptical
- 🧪 Insightful
Where and When Is Lying Set?
Lying is set in Upstate New York country house. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
Upstate New York country house
Set at a large country home in upstate New York, the story unfolds on Megan's secluded property. The house sits near a wooded perimeter, with a neighbor's kitchen nearby and a courtyard where a video art project is staged. The isolation is reinforced by downed phone lines, creating a pressure cooker environment that heightens tension among the four women.
- 🏡 Isolated mansion
- 🗝️ Secrets
- 👭 Female dynamics
What Are the Themes of Lying?
4 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Deception, Wealth & Inheritance and Female Dynamics.
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01
Deception
Deception threads through every interaction, as Megan's public persona hides a web of lies about her past and the house's true ownership. The women weigh trust against suspicion, each discovery peeling back layers of truth and pretense. The weekend becomes a test of perception, where what is said is as important as what is concealed. The film uses this tension to explore power dynamics and the fragile nature of friendship under pressure.
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02
Wealth & Inheritance
Money, property, and lineage drive the conflict, with Megan leveraging her status to shape the weekend's dynamics. The discovery of bills and documents reveals a contested claim to the house, challenging the illusion of ownership. The money's influence distorts relationships, highlighting who controls a narrative and who pays the price. The theme interrogates how wealth can isolate individuals while simultaneously binding them to each other through secrets.
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03
Female Dynamics
The four women navigate competition, curiosity, and care within an enclosed space. Boundaries blur as secrets emerge and loyalties shift, testing trust. Isolation amplifies vulnerability and resilience, showing how solidarity forms and fractures. The dynamics reveal both solidarity and danger when women confront manipulation and truth.
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04
Past & Family History
Past events haunt Megan and the surrounding community, from deceased parents to a mysterious brother. The missing boy incident adds a layer of rumor and memory, forcing characters to question what really happened in the past. The neighbor's observations and the hidden documentation connect the present tension to long-buried histories. The narrative suggests that who we are is shaped as much by what we forget as by what we remember.
What Kind of Film Is Lying?
Tense in tone, with slow pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Tense
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Ambiguous
An unsettling and slow-burning psychological drama that builds tension through social deception and isolation, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere where quiet moments feel increasingly ominous.
- unsettling
- claustrophobic
- deceptive
- anxious
- quiet
- ominous
- deception
- social anxiety
- inheritance
- isolation
Content notes: psychological manipulation, child endangerment (implied).
Quiz
How well do you remember Lying? Test yourself on the story.
