The Liars' Club (1994) User Reviews

The Liar's Club - When Friendship Loyalty Goes Too Far

[Noirdame79 · 7/10 · 2 March 2024]

As other reviewers pointed out, this movie feels like a TV movie or an Afterschool Special at times; only the profanity, and brief scenes of sexual content and violence show that it isn't (it went directly to the home video market). The acting is decent, and the movie has a good soundtrack. An arrogant high school jock (Brian Krause, who tended to play roles in this vein in this stage of his career) rapes a girl (Shevonne Durkin) in his circle of friends. His girlfriend (Jennifer Burns) is completely unaware of what a predatory creep her boyfriend is, and their other friends (Wil Wheaton, Soleil Moon Frye, Michael Cudlitz, and Aron Eisenberg) decide to put their loyalty to Krause (who insists that it was consensual) first and shield Burns from the truth. When they fear that Durkin may go to the police, Cudlitz decides to take matters into his own hands; what starts out as intimidating Durkin from reporting the rape ends in him killing her. Krause, Wheaton, Frye, and Eisenberg help dispose of the body, but Wheaton's conscience starts to get the better of him, and he falls for Burns, who eventually learns the truth. Should they report the crime or cover for their friends? The ending is infuriating, but sadly quite realistic, and we have to ask ourselves, have times really changed that much?

The similarities between "The Liar's Club" (1993) and "River's Edge" (1987) are undeniable. In the latter film, inspired by true events, a high school jock murders his girlfriend, and shows his friends the body, and they grapple with whether or not to report the crime or protect their friend. There is even a similar line in both films, regarding the victim, "She was/is our friend too!" How far does friendship go, especially if the "friends" are potentially dangerous? Is loyalty sometimes misplaced? Is it worth it to cover up crimes in the name of friendship? "River's Edge" is the better of the two, but both films raise these important questions.

Good for young teenagers

[angel-178 · 12 March 2001]

This movie is like an afterschool special with violence and bad language added. It is good, however, when addressing the "loyalty" kids have for each other. The rule is, never snitch on a friend, no matter what. The question is, who are you being loyal to? A person who could rape or murder someone is not someone you should be loyal to. He's someone who could turn on you. You might have thought he was your friend, but how well did you really know him? What else is he capable of doing? Should you be loyal to a person like that? Would a person like this, have the same loyalty for you when the chips are down? The uncompromising ending is a good lesson for teenagers, without being preachy. I suggest parents show their teenagers this film when talking to them about "loyalty" and how far it should go.

An awful movie

[hoser2-2 · 2/10 · 12 December 1998]

This movie starts off VERY bad, proceeds to get a little better, and has a terrible ending. This plot is unrealistic, dialogue is stupid, and the acting is pretty bad as well.

Almost, but not quite...

[matlock-6 · 3/10 · 30 July 2000]

This could have been a very good film, but it was poorly done from the beginning. Wil Wheaton, best known as Gordie from Stand By Me (a well played role), and the very annoying Wesley Crusher from Star Trek The Next Generation was not the best selection for the starring role. A decent actor, he is better in supporting roles. Soleil Moon Frye, Televisions Punky Brewster, turns in a solid performance. The script is not the best, however, and the directing and story development (including cinematography and atmosphere creation) should have been done much better. Really, it's a pretty dull film.

the ultimate

[nessdan · 10/10 · 5 March 2006]

This is one of the best films of the 90's if not the history of cinema. Some of the finest young actors give their all in this powerful screen depiction of American youth. See this film and witness in awe the intense qualities of Soleil Moon Frye and Will Wheaton. Mind blowing and inspiring in every aspect. When you sit in front of your video screen, and watch this classic, make sure you get a six pack of beer and some weed, because without these items, you might not feel like paying attention to the small details that make this a masterpiece. The subtle movements and expressions of the actors and the seemingly natural dialogue make you wonder if the filmmakers actually intended the work to be so real, or if everything fell into place accidentally. Absolutely a unique and captivating piece of cinema.

Best Movie Ever

[WilnRioLuvr · 10/10 · 28 April 2009]

This is one of my all-time favorite movies. I thought that everything was very well put together, like the screenplay, camera direction, etc. Wil Wheaton is my favorite actor and I think he done an amazing job in this film. I think that they picked the perfect actors for each part. The dramatic music in it was very cool and creepy. It reminded me of some cheesy horror film. The script I think was also very good and so was the direction. The first 15 minutes isn't exactly PG but after you get passed that it could be a good movie for young teens. Especially if there wasn't so much cussing. It really makes you decide how far you would go to keep a secret for a friend. Definitely recommend to anybody who is going through a tough time with a friend or anybody who likes a deep dramatic film. 10/10

This is a really good movie

[jillcan · 25 March 1999]

This movie is really good if you are able to deal with the plot. Close friends Jimbo, David, Pat, Kim, Gigi and Buzz must cover up the murder of their friend Marla. The acting is decent and it is actually a pretty good movie, mostly for teens. It deals with drugs, smoking, rape, and has a ton of bad language. Once you get past the first three or so scenes there is no sexual content.

Interesting, But Still a Misfire.

[tfrizzell · 28 February 2003]

Nearly a success, but a film that fails due to important factors being invisible at times. "The Liars' Club" is a film about a high school quarterback (Brian Krause) that has the world on a string. He is about to graduate and a scholarship to Notre Dame is likely to mean the start of an imminently great life. However, one drunken night turns that around as he rapes friend Shevonne Durkin at a local party. Durkin is in a dilemma and it appears that she may point the accusing finger at the young star. Mutual friends Will Wheaton, Michael Cudlitz, Aaron Eisenberg, and Soleil Moon Frye (yes, of "Punky Brewster" fame) learn of Krause's and Durkin's relationship at the party. Krause admits that he had sex with Durkin, but denies the rape charges. The tension builds as the group tries to hide the situation from Krause's girlfriend (Jennifer Burns) and the possibility of Durkin going to the authorities becomes a major concern as well. Cudlitz believes that Durkin must be scared into staying quiet and accidentally stabs the young lady. The group of friends now must stick together to save Cudlitz and keep Krause out of the line of fire as well. "The Liars' Club" is one of those could-have-been films that fails due to typical teen film clichés that get in the way of some good performances and some legitimate chemistry among the key players. Krause, Burns and Cudlitz are particularly good, but the others struggle to keep the intensity up. The direction becomes a bit unsteady mid-way through and it feels like the screenwriters did not really know how to bring everything together in the end. For the budget and the lack of important resources, "The Liars' Club" is still a noble and interesting work. However with all this said, the film still fails to be as good as it likely could have been. 2 stars out of 5.