We Were Liars

What’s it about?

After Cadence Sinclair suffers a terrible accident while on summer vacation with her wealthy family, she attempts to weave through their lies to remember her past.

The facts 

• Directed by Nzingha Stewart, Julie Plec, Tara Miele, So Yong Kim, Erica Dunton
• English language 
• Runtime: 8 episodes, each around 1 hour long
• Based on the novel We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 

Why did it get this rating? 

This series was self-rated by Prime Video. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here. Prime advises flashing lights and strobing patterns might affect photosensitive viewers.

Sex scenes

Two characters have sex. This is shown through the crack of a door; you see movement and hear moaning noises, however no nudity or detail is shown.

One scene depicts two characters having sex, with the sequence intercut between the present and a past encounter. In the past, the female character appears to lose her virginity as the male character asks if she is sure she wants to have sex, but not much detail is shown. In the present scene there is more detail, with sexual movement implied through upper-body motion and audible moaning.

There are a couple of sexual references to things like “blowjobs” and “sexting.”

Offensive language

There is some offensive language including variations of the word “f**k” and “sh*t.”

Drug use 

A character develops an addiction to prescription drugs following an accident.

There are a couple of drug references, including when a character jokingly says “enjoying things through your nose always ended very well for you.”

Violence

A character is shown lying unconscious on the beach with a cut on their forehead. 

There is a fight scene which results in injuries, and the topic of death comes up.

Suicide themes

After rescuing a child from drowning, a character decides to stop treading water and slips beneath the surface. He is rescued and survives, but in a conversation afterwards, it's revealed that he gave up due to being in trouble at school. While the scene is not explicitly framed as a suicide attempt, it carries emotional weight and may be distressing for some viewers.

When content stays with you: 

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.  

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information 

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?