Secrets & Lies

Name: Secrets & Lies
Genre: Drama
Released: 1996-05-24
Duration: 2 h 22 min
Rating: 7.6
Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Timothy Spall, Phyllis Logan, Claire Rushbrook

1996·Movie·R·142 min·★ 7.6(730)

Drama More English titles

“Roxanne drives her mother crazy. Maurice never speaks to his niece. Cynthia has a shock for her family. Monica can't talk to her husband. Hortense has never met her mother.”

After her adoptive mother dies, Hortense, a successful black optometrist, seeks out her birth mother. She's shocked when her research leads her to Cynthia, a working class white woman.

▶ Watch trailer

Where to watch Secrets & Lies in United States

Stream

HBO Max Amazon Channel

Rent

Buy

Click a service to open Secrets & Lies there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is Secrets & Lies streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, HBO Max	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Canada	Criterion Channel	Apple TV Store
Germany	Sooner Amazon Channel, Sooner	—
France	Canal+, Molotov TV	Apple TV Store, Canal VOD, Orange VOD
Spain	Movistar Plus+, Movistar Plus+ Ficción Total , Filmin, Acontra Plus	Amazon Video, Acontra Plus
Brazil	Reserva Imovision, Reserva Imovision Amazon Channel	Reserva Imovision
South Korea	Watcha, TVING	—

About Secrets & Lies

Secrets & Lies is a 1996 English-language drama film directed by Mike Leigh. The cast is led by Brenda Blethyn, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Timothy Spall. It has a runtime of 2h 22m. Viewers rate it 7.6/10 across 700 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel.

Secrets & Lies was produced by CiBy 2000, Channel Four Films, and Thin Man Films and made in United Kingdom and France. It was released on May 24, 1996, and carries a R certification. Made on a budget of about $5 million, it went on to gross $13 million worldwide.

Director: Mike Leigh
Writers: Mike Leigh
Release date: May 24, 1996
OTT release: January 21, 2022
Original language: English
Age rating: R
Status: Released
Country: United Kingdom, France
Budget: $5 million
Box office: $13 million
Production: CiBy 2000, Channel Four Films, Thin Man Films

#london, england#parent child relationship#adoption#socially deprived family#reunion#candid#loving

Secrets & Lies cast & crew

Secrets & Lies was directed by Mike Leigh and written by Mike Leigh.

The cast features Brenda Blethyn as Cynthia Rose Purley, Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Hortense Cumberbatch, Timothy Spall as Maurice Purley, Phyllis Logan as Monica Purley, Claire Rushbrook as Roxanne Purley, and Lee Ross as Paul.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Andrew Dickson, cinematography is by Dick Pope, and it was produced by Simon Channing Williams.

Is Secrets & Lies worth watching?

Secrets & Lies holds an audience score of 7.6/10 from 730 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed drama films.

At 2h 22m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama, Secrets & Lies is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Secrets & Lies

In United States, you can stream Secrets & Lies on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, and HBO Max, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

It first became available to stream digitally on January 21, 2022.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.