What is the Metascore for Secrets & Lies?

Secrets & Lies has a Metascore of 91 out of 100 on Celluloid.

Secrets & Lies Review (1996) — 87% Celluloid Score

Q: Is Secrets & Lies worth watching?

Secrets & Lies (1996) has a Celluloid Score of 87%, averaged across critic reviews, audience ratings, Metascore, Letterboxd, and IMDb. It comes recommended overall. Directed by Mike Leigh.

Directed by Mike Leigh · 1996 · Last reviewed July 23, 2026

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary

Secrets & Lies (1996) earns a 87% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

Quick Verdict

Averaged from five public sources (critic, audience, Metascore, Letterboxd, IMDb). See how we calculate scores.

87%

Celluloid Score Recommended

Five-source breakdown

95% Critic Score

90% Audience

91 Metascore

★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4

8 IMDb /10

Runtime: 2h 22m
Cast: Brenda Blethyn , Marianne Jean-Baptiste , Timothy Spall , Phyllis Logan , Claire Rushbrook , Lee Ross , Lesley Manville , Elizabeth Berrington , Michele Austin , Ron Cook

Official theatrical poster for Secrets & Lies (1996)

Theatrical release

Where to watch

Not confirmed on any major streaming platform yet — check local listings.

Why this score?

Strong critic approval (95% positive).
Audiences widely enjoyed it (90%).
Metascore signals universal acclaim (91/100).
Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4/5).
IMDb users score it 8/10.

Best for

Viewers who want a well-regarded drama pick

Not ideal for

Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

Is Secrets & Lies worth watching?

Yes — Secrets & Lies earns a 87% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

Critics Consensus

Secrets & Lies — Palme d'Or at Cannes 1996. A landmark festival winner on Celluloid.
Celluloid Critics Consensus

Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

What is Secrets & Lies about?

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.