We Were Liars parents guide: What you should know before letting your teen watch the Prime Video psychological thriller

If you think We Were Liars is just a show about rich teens chilling on an island, nope! It is way deeper, kind of like a puzzle that slowly breaks your heart. There is a mystery, some fights, pills, drinking, swear words, racism talk, and two really painful deaths that aren’t shown, but you feel them in your bones.

It is a good watch for 16+, but maybe not for younger teens. It hits hard, makes you think, and stays in your head for a while, and if you are a parent, we have got you covered for everything you need to know about how We Were Liars works!

Is this island a paradise or a problem? Spoiler: It's both

Imagine a summer house, but it is not just one house. It is like a whole kingdom owned by one family. Cadence Sinclair wakes up on the sand with blood on her head, no clue how she got there, and the vibe is instantly creepy. It is the kind of creepy that makes your skin itch.

When it comes to the parenal guide itself, We Were Liars keeps showing us family dinners that look fancy but feel fake. Like everyone is smiling but someone pressed the mute button on truth. There is one serious fist fight, and people get hurt, not like superhero hurt, more like real-world ouch, where you flinch. There may not be any scary monsters popping out on your screens, but the real scare is how people treat each other when they have too much power.

Then we have a bunch of teens who chug drinks (alcohol) like it is soda, and we have one other person who keeps popping pain pills because headaches don’t turn off in an instant. Additionally, there is racism talk because Gat isn’t part of the rich club at first, and it actually matters to the story. It teaches teens that shiny lives can have rotten cores.

Value check: Heavy themes, real consequences, emotional impact, not tiny kid stuff.

Pills, cups, and cursed sentences: What We Were Liars doesn’t hide

So here’s what parents should actually clock while figuring out whether i i's safe for your kids to watch We Were Liars or not. This show talks like real teens: It indeed is casual, but it is also very sharp on your tongue.

The F-word drops a few times, plus the S-word and B-word appear like surprise confetti, except it is not fun confetti. But it’s not every minute, just enough to raise eyebrows. Drinks show up a lot more than kisses do, and the teens throw parties with red cups that parents will instantly recognize, and most of the time, the kids are wasted. It is the kind of scenes that make you whisper “oh no” into your pillow. And there is no blur or hidden code; you know what’s happening.

There is another character who gets hooked on medicine after an accident. It starts like “ugh my head hurts,” but turns into “I kinda can’t function without these anymore.” Oh, and about those 2 deaths from the show? Well, you do not see them, but do you hear stuff and feel it all? It is not spelled out right in front of your eyes, but you sure would know what the scene's trying to convey, and whatever it may be, it's not a pretty sight for someone under the age of 16 to consume.

Value check: Language is strong but spaced out, drinking is a major visual & pills are a plot point.

We Were Liars isn’t a scary show; it is a slow brain thriller that surely does require a whole lot of attention from you. It has swear words, teen drinking, painkiller issues, racism talk, and emotional death themes, but nothing that could be termed as super graphic.

For 16+ teens, We Were Liars can spark real conversations about choices, pain, privilege, and doing the right thing. Best move? Watch with them if you can. It’s a thinking show, not a kid show.

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