What do you get when the talents of two veteran actors come together on a single screen? An outstanding crime drama you’ll want to watch all night, which goes by the name of The Good Liar. The expertly cast film stars Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen as wealthy widow Betty McLeish and con artist Roy Courtnay - one of whom is about to become the victim of a very twisted betrayal.
We won’t spoil the surprise (or the many, many twists and turns within the film), but when Betty and Roy meet online, seasoned fraudster Roy can’t quite believe his luck. An easy swindle, he thinks, but what he doesn’t expect is to start falling for Betty – or that she might not be as clueless about his true identity, after all.
With the film now available to stream, here’s everything you need to know about The Good Liar before you do, including the plot, cast and where to watch it.
What is The Good Liar about?
Based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Nicholas Searle, The Good Liar stars Ian McKellen as a career con artist known as Roy Courtnay who meets a wealthy widow, Betty McLeish (played by Helen Mirren) online. His plan is, of course, to swindle her, but when Roy finds himself starting to actually care about Betty, his plan isn’t quite so straightforward.
No spoilers, but the film turns betrayal on its head as Betty isn’t quite the gullible widow Roy believes her to be. The question is, can Betty play Roy at his own game, or will Roy suss her out before she’s even got started? You’ll have to tune in to find out.
Star Helen Mirren spoke to Entertainment Weekly about what attracted her to the role, explaining: “It was a combination of my co-star Ian McKellen and of course the director, Bill Condon. It’s a very interesting script, a wonderful, twisty thriller that I thought would be fun to do. It’s nice to do a film about old people that’s not about Alzheimer’s or cancer, if you know what I mean.”
She went on to share how easy it is to be swindled, no matter how savvy you are: “We can all be taken in, as so many of us are so often. Nowadays obviously, with internet scams and fake news, almost everybody who has internet access is the victim of one scam or another. With the development of technology, it’s becoming more and more terrifying how we can have the wool pulled over our eyes.”
Who’s in the cast of The Good Liar?
The cast of The Good Liar includes:
- Helen Mirren as Betty McLeish
- Ian McKellen as Roy Courtnay
- Russel Tovey as Stephen
- Jim Carter as Vincent Halloran
- Mark Lewis Jones as Bryn
- Phil Dunster as Roy Courtnay
- Lucian Msamati as Beni
- Laurie Davidson as Hans Taub
- Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Vlad
- Tunji Kasim as Michael
- Spike White as Hans Taub
- Nell Williams as Lili
- Céline Buckens as Annalise
- Bessie Carter as Secretary
Is there a trailer for The Good Liar?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for The Good Liar below.
Is The Good Liar any good?
Yes – it’s a brilliantly twisty crime thriller featuring fantastic performances from both Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen. On its release in 2019, the film received its fair share of praise from critics and viewers have called it “a masterclass in great acting”, “a fun and twisty tale” and “pure magic”. If you enjoy a drama that’s genuinely unpredictable, we’re confident you’ll enjoy The Good Liar.
How can I watch The Good Liar?
You can watch The Good Liar now on Prime Video, Sky or Apple TV.
What other Helen Mirren dramas can I watch now?
Crime drama fans will love Helen Mirren’s performance in MobLand, which around two warring families in London. Tom Hardy is Harry Da Souza, a professional conciliator on behalf of Irish crime family, the Harrigans, played by Helen and Pierce Brosnan. You can watch MobLand on Paramount+ now. Alternatively, if you missed it when it arrived on screens last year, we’d also recommend the small-screen adaptation of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club. Helen is perfectly cast as former spy and retiree Elizabeth Best who's among the residents of a UK retirement home who solve cold-case murders for fun. Expect thoroughly joyous viewing. For more great Helen Mirren dramas, check out our pick of her very best roles here.
