

Secrets & Lies
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.
TMDB
7.6/10
757 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
View on IMDb
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $4.5M
- Box office
- $13.4M
- Language
- Greek
- london, england
- parent child relationship
- adoption
- socially deprived family
- reunion
- candid
- loving
Top billed cast















Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Rent
Gallery












Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- PremiereNew York Film Festival27 Sept 1996
- Theatrical (limited)R27 Sept 1996
- PremiereChicago International Film Festival10 Oct 1996
- Theatrical20 Feb 1997
- PhysicalRVHS15 Apr 1997
- PhysicalRLaserDisc11 Jun 1997
- PhysicalRDVD1 Feb 2005
- PhysicalRThe Criterion Collection Blu-ray30 Mar 2021
- Digital / OTTRKanopy21 Jan 2022
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical1524 May 1996
- Physical15VHS29 Sept 1997
- TVChannel 412 Apr 1998
- Physical15DVD16 Aug 2001
- Physical15Blu-ray2 Mar 2015
- Physical15The Criterion Collection Blu-ray 26 Apr 2021
- PremiereBFI Southbank25 Oct 2021
AustraliaAU
- TheatricalM5 Sept 1996
CanadaCA
- Theatrical27 Sept 1996
- TVShowcase9 Feb 2002
ArgentinaAR
- PremiereMar del Plata Film Festival15 Nov 1996
- Theatrical27 Feb 1997
BelgiumBE
- Theatrical18 Sept 1996
BrazilBR
- TheatricalL mj.gov.br - Leda Films15 Nov 1996
- TVL2 Oct 2000
- Physical12DVD1 Jan 2017
ChinaCN
- PremiereShanghai International Film Festival10 Jun 2023
CzechiaCZ
- PremiereKarlovy Vary International Film Festival1 Jul 1996
- Theatrical (limited)UProjekt 10029 Jan 1998
- Theatrical29 Jan 1998
- PremiereFebio Film Festival3 Apr 2009
DenmarkDK
- PremiereCopenhagen Film Festival13 Sept 1996
- Theatrical11 Oct 1996
FinlandFI
- Theatrical11 Oct 1996
- PremiereEspoo Film Festival24 Aug 2009
FranceFR
- PremiereCannes Film Festival10 May 1996
- TheatricalTP18 Sept 1996
- PhysicalTPVHS1 Sept 1997
- PremiereCherbourg-Octeville Festival of Irish and British Film12 Oct 2000
- PhysicalTPDVD1 Oct 2006
- TVCanal+ Grand Écran22 May 2026
Frequently asked questions
Secrets & Lies was released on 24 May 1996.
Audience reviews
5- C8/10
CRCulver
5/27/2018
SECRETS AND LIES is a 1996 film by Mike Leigh that, appropriately enough, is concerned with the things that members of a family conceal from each other. Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a black woman in London who has made a successful career as an optician, knew from a young age that she was adopted, but only after her adopted mother's death does she decide to look up her birth mother. Hortense is shocked to fi…
- P10/10
Peter McGinn
8/23/2020
If I ever get around to drawing up a list of my top 25 favorite non-blockbuster movies, Secrets and Lies would roll in very near the top. I have watched it a few times and expect I will continue to do so periodically. The acting is phenomenal. It is an ensemble cast, for sure, no superstars, but three of the main actors: Timothy Spall, Brenda Blethyn and Claire Rushbrook, are among the best that Great Britain has …
- F6/10
Filipe Manuel Neto
5/20/2023
**A good work, currently forgotten.** Just when I think I've seen all sorts of movies about racism, issues of race or prejudice, there's something new that comes out of nowhere, or some meritorious, well-made effort that's worth seeing. This film, initially, seemed to me just a sweet and average drama in which a black woman, very successful, decides to discover the identity of her biological mother and discovers t…
- G9/10
griggs79
12/2/2024
_Secrets & Lies_ is a compelling film that delves into the themes of family, identity, and the profound impact of shame on relationships. It skillfully intertwines raw emotion with a sense of honesty that reverberates throughout the narrative. The performances are remarkably authentic, fostering a strong connection with the characters and their struggles with their own secrets. The dialogue feels genuine and relat…
- C7/10
CinemaSerf
12/26/2025
I reckon the fact that so many nations put this on their awards radar must suggest a lot of resonance with families, not just in Britain, who are having to come to terms with a myriad of contentious circumstances as they try to live day to day. This centres around the drink-loving “Cynthia” (Brenda Blethyn) who lives with a daughter “Roxanne” (Claire Rushbrook) who has a lively rapport with her boyfriend “Paul” (Lee …
Member reviews
Sign in to rate and review. Browsing stays free and open.
Sign inMember comments
0Sign in to post a comment. Browsing stays free and open.
Sign in











