The Seventh Lie is a film that explores the 7 stages of grief. Specifically how a strange “guest” is a literal replacement for a lost loved one. The film focuses on a family dealing with the death of their son and the lies people live in to survive profouns loss. The thriller element comes from the unsettling realization that the family wants the stranger to be there, as their grief is acting as a blinder, while the sister, Verena, who is accepting her grief and the loss of her brother is shamed for questioning him and trying to uncover the truth behind this strange guest. The film centers on the theme of “living a lie,” showing how denial can be more comforting during a loss than the truth. Another theme that is focused on in the film is its representation of the seven stages of grief, beginning in the opening with "denial".
Through the visual aspect, the film uses symbolism and an intense editing style to reflect the lie in which the main family is living in. The opening credits show warm, happy family photos paired with bright classical music, sharply contrasting with dark and unsettling photos of the strange guest. The character of Janus is symbolic, following the meaning of the name, two-faced. One being the original brother, and the other his replacement. The repeated dinner scenes, which switch between the original brother and the guest, slowly grow in its intensity becoming faster and stress-inducing. The replacement Janus becomes darker and threatening as a character, especially through close-ups and moments where he tries to recreate details from family photos, such as drawing a birthmark on his face. Through the decision to hide the parents’ faces and focusing mainly on Verena and the fake Janus, the film emphasizes how deep the parents are in their grief and denial, while Verena slowly begins to accept her loss and see the truth.
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