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Lie of the Land

Play trailer Poster for Lie of the Land 2023 1h 20m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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In a dire financial situation, an aging farming couple plans to escape, but a last-minute doubt triggers a game of survival. Kath and Matthew Ward have run out of road. Years of bad investments have drained them; the farm that has been in Kath's family for generations is falling apart around them, and the grief of her mother's death sits between them like a stone. Every conversation turns into an argument. Every plan turns into a dead end. Then Gabriel Shepherd arrives. Charming, certain, and full of promise, he offers the Wards a way out: a new life abroad, debt-free, everything behind them. All it costs is their last money: the inheritance Kath's mother left behind. But when doubt creeps in at the final hour, the Wards discover that Shepherd was never the answer to their prayers. Trapped in the house they were ready to walk away from, they must fight for the land, the marriage, and the lives they nearly gave up.
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Lie of the Land

Audience Reviews

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Claudio C @Claudio666 Dec 2, 2025 Lie of the Land (2023) Boring and Repetitive (12,102 – 01 Dec 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) The middle-aged farmers Ward (Nigel O'Neill) and Cath (Ali White) have unpayable debts with the bank and sell their herd to their neighbor Shearer (Paddy Jenkins). They made a deal with a stranger, Shepherd (Barry John Kinsella), to leave the farm and pay a fee to him; in return, he would help them to start a new life in another place. However, the real intention of Shepherd is to rob the old couple. They suspect the stranger’s attitude and call of the deal, in the beginning of a night of terror. "Lie of the Land" (2023) is an overrated British thriller, with a short story and repetitions of the same situation. Ward is armed and has many chances to shoot Shepherd, but misses the target, lets the bullets fall on the floor and lets the dominated stranger leave the house. When Boyle (Abe Smyth) arrives, there are so many mistakes from Ward that irritates the viewer. The only lucid character is Cath. My vote is five. Title (Brazil): "Reféns da Terra" ("Hostage from the Land") My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/ See more Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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John Carlin

Director

Nigel O'Neill

Ward

Ali White

Actor

Barry John Kinsella

Actor

Abe Smyth

Actor

Paddy Jenkins

Actor
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Lie of the Land

Lie of the Land (2023) Lie of the Land (2023) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In a dire financial situation, an aging farming couple plans to escape, but a last-minute doubt triggers a game of survival. Kath and Matthew Ward have run out of road. Years of bad investments have drained them; the farm that has been in Kath's family for generations is falling apart around them, and the grief of her mother's death sits between them like a stone. Every conversation turns into an argument. Every plan turns into a dead end. Then Gabriel Shepherd arrives. Charming, certain, and full of promise, he offers the Wards a way out: a new life abroad, debt-free, everything behind them. All it costs is their last money: the inheritance Kath's mother left behind. But when doubt creeps in at the final hour, the Wards discover that Shepherd was never the answer to their prayers. Trapped in the house they were ready to walk away from, they must fight for the land, the marriage, and the lives they nearly gave up.
Director
John Carlin
Distributor
Freestyle Digital Media
Production Co
Northern Ireland Screen, Causeway Pictures
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 23, 2026
Runtime
1h 20m
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