The show is based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Karen M. McManus. One Of Us Is Lying was developed by Erica Saleh for the American channel Peacock.
A hit from the beginning with an incredibly passionate fanbase, it was soon picked up by Netflix who acquired the streaming rights.
But what exactly is One Of Us Is Lying all about – that is if you can't guess from the title?
What Is One Of Us Is Lying About?
The premise for the teen ‘whodunnit' is simple. Set in the fictional high school of Bayview High, five students are given detention. They are Simon (Mark McKenna), Cooper (Chibuikem Uche), Addy (Annalisa Cochrane), Bronwyn (Marianly Tejada), and Nate (Cooper van Grootel).
Each has their own distinct personality and stereotype – cheerleader, footballer etc… However, it is Simon that is particularly well known for starting a gossip app called About That.
Along with his friend Janae (Jessica McLeod), the idea was to snitch on his classmates, not really caring about the consequences.
But then in detention, Simone drinks a cup of water and suffers a sudden and fatal allergic reaction.
Turns out the water was laced with traces of peanuts, which Simon had a deadly allergy to.
Once it is determined that his death was not an accident, an investigation by Detective Wheeler into his murder begins.
As we soon discover, each of the other four students all had a motive to kill him.
But with all of them pleading their innocence, they must ask themselves, which One Of Us Is Lying?
One Of Us Is Lying Official Trailer
Is One Of Us Is Lying Worth Watching?
Most shows created around high school students tend to be aimed at a very specific demographic. That would be a YA audience (Young Adult). But thankfully you can still watch One Of Us Is Lying if you like a solid murder mystery.
After all, when five students walk into detention, and only four come out alive, there's definitely a level of intrigue. So is solving Simon's death as interesting as the plot suggests?
Actually, it is. Each of the remaining four suspects has a secret they want to keep hidden. Whether it's cheating on a boyfriend or a major exam, selling drugs, or still being in the closet, nobody wants the revelations to see the light of day.
The problem is that there is still one person who is anonymously using the gossip app to out all of them.
Determined to collect information that will prove their innocence, once it occurs to them that somebody else might be setting them up then the story moves forward at a pretty fast pace in this binge worthy show.
The positives for One Of Us Is Lying is that you really never know who is telling the truth, so the mystery continues to the end.
There is plenty of tension, more mystery and theories for the murder, tonnes of suspects, and more twists beyond just solving the crime.
The cast and characters, including Cooper van grootel are really good even if the storyline does pack in every teen trope and cliche imaginable.
While we do find out who the killer was, the first season was left on an almighty cliffhanger designed to leave viewers needing a second season.
On the downside of One Of Us Is Lying is the fact that it is VERY teen orientated with all of the usual drama that comes with the genre.
So is it worth watching? That depends on your age and how much eye-rolling nonsense you're willing to put up to find out who the killer is.
One Of Us Is lying TV Series Cast
Created by Erica Saleh with Jennifer Morrison as an executive producer, the show has a variety of writers including Molly Nussbaum and Anthony Johnston.
While it originally streamed on Peacock, international audiences can watch it on Netflix.
The good news is that there will be a second season so watch out for that…
Annalisa Cochrane (Cobra Kai) as Addy Prentiss, the cheerleader
Chibuikem Uche as Cooper Clay, a baseball pitcher
Marianly Tejada as Bronwyn Rojas, an overachiever
Cooper van Grootel as Nate Macauley, a student and drug dealer on probation
Barrett Carnahan as Jake Riordan, Addy's boyfriend and the captain of the football team
Jessica McLeod as Janae Matthews, Simon's best friend
Mark McKenna as Simon Kelleher, the murder victim
Melissa Collazo as Maeve Rojas, Bronwyn's sister
The second season will see some new characters including those played by Joe Witkowski and Doralynn Mui.
