'One of Us is Lying' Review: The show starts off briskly but misses the x-factor
This article contains spoilers for 'One of Us is Lying'
Whether it was just the sheer weight of expectations to do better than its fellow teen dramas, or if it was just a bunch of promising actors acting out a mediocre script, it's sad that 'One of Us is Lying' falls flat. The Peacock series which splashes color generously on-screen throws in some twists, and plays around with the pacing is a watchable affair but doesn't grip like it is supposed to.
It's not balderdash-y and very 'The Breakfast Club' but not brilliant like 'Riverdale' either. The murder mystery starts off briskly, but then everything just turns as dull as dishwater? Cliche, we know, but the show has cringe and banality written all over it.
Based on the bestseller by Karen McManus, the drama starts on the first day of school with a teasing post on 'About THAT' — a blog that leaks the dirtiest secrets of the teens at Bayview High and is moderated by grouch outcast Simon (Mark McKenna) and he promises some intense, juicy gossip about four students. Even before he could get started, he dies of water that's poisoned after being handed detention. What looks like an allergic reaction at first is later labeled a homicide.
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The prime suspects are the ones present in the detention room when he died, and each of them carries their own dirty secret big enough to jeopardize their good-looking future, and each of them has substantial reasons to be scared of what Simon's leaks would be.
Bronwyn (Marianly Tejada) is somewhat of a genius —perfect grades, and crystal immaculate, except, she's really not what the world thinks she is; ChiseledCooper (Chibuikem Uche), the uber-cool, talented baseball player still in the closet; Addy (Annalisa Cochrane) is a cheerleader on the field, but a two-timing girlfriend off of it, and Nate (Cooper van Grootel), a quintessential bad boy and a petty drug dealer just an offense away from doing time.
Despite the glossy setting, the show misses that x-factor that makes it worth the watch. From the three episodes released for press review, the series makes it clear that it's paid attention to detail, but it does so painfully and slowly that you just want to know who killed Simon. It reminds us of a bad horror movie that fails to inject horror at the perfect timing. It's a pity really, 'One of Us is Lying' could have been on par with 'Riverdale' and 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', but the cast is let down by clunky writing.
Quite simply, 'One of Us is Lying' lacks depth, and would have rather worked if it were a movie. There's only so much you can delve into the tale and squeeze. This one's okay for a binge if you can manage to sit through.
'One of Us is Lying' drops with episodes 1-3 on Peacock on October 7.
