Aman Goyal
Lifetime’s ‘Lies and Ex Wives: Secrets on Maple Street’ is a mystery thriller told from the point of view of Katie, a young woman who becomes romantically involved with her divorced neighbor. Despite the inevitable rumors from the local residents, Katie braces herself for the scrutiny and rushes into an engagement. As she becomes increasingly familiar with her new community, she finds a web of lies, betrayals, and secrets, partially suspecting her new boyfriend’s involvement.
The plot thickens when Katie starts receiving threats from a mysterious stalker. It escalates further when her fiancé’s ex-wife is found dead. Katie quickly realizes she is facing a danger far more lethal than gossip and stalking and takes steps to get to the bottom of this unnerving situation. Directed by Paula Elle, this film is the first installment in the ‘Maple Street’ trilogy, laying the foundation for a saga rooted in mystery, lust, and deception. Alongside the characters’ actions and tight screenplay, ‘Lies and Ex Wives: Secrets on Maple Street’ heavily relies on its visuals, particularly the evocative locations.
Lies and Ex Wives: Secrets on Maple Street Filming Locations
‘Lies and Ex Wives: Secrets on Maple Street’ takes place on the iconic Maple Street in Kelowna, a city in British Columbia, and was in and around real locations. The shooting took place back-to-back in April and May 2024 with the next trilogy installments, ‘A Family Nightmare: Secrets on Maple Street’ and ‘Murder for Mortgage: Secrets on Maple Street.’ Jason Habicht served as the cinematographer, capturing the dual facade of romance and conspiracy.
Kelowna, British Columbia
‘Lies and Ex Wives: Secrets on Maple Street’ was shot in Kelowna, one of the most stunning places in the province of British Columbia. The city is situated in the Okanagan Valley, surrounded by hilly landscapes. The titular Maple Street, where numerous exterior shots were captured, is located right adjacent to the eastern shoreline of Okanagan Lake — one of the city’s most prestigious sites. This neighborhood features no shortage of Victorian-era cottages with modern, comfortable suburban ideals popular at the time.
The streets, recorded for the movie, are situated on spacious, clean, and minimally landscaped lots. They add richness to the cinematic appeal of the narrative and strongly reason with Katie’s choice to turn a blind eye when the neighbors harass her. The crew headed to local studios to tape the indoor shots. Set decorator Olivia Seneshen and production designer Kailee Clayton skillfully handled this requirement, modifying the interior sets to authentically eliminate any difference between the real houses and sets from the naked eye.
Lies and Ex Wives: Secrets on Maple Street Cast
Ali Liebert, an actress, director, and model, takes on the lead role of Katie in ‘Lies and Ex Wives: Secrets on Maple Street.’ Much like her character, Liebert is an outsider who relocated to British Columbia to pursue her ambitions. She received acclaim for her tomboyish performance as Betty McRae in the wartime series ‘Bomb Girls.’ Some of her other notable works include the shows, ‘Family Law’ and ‘One of Us Is Lying,’ and several holiday-themed made-for-television movies, including Hallmark’s ‘Every Time a Bell Rings,’ ‘Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade,’ and ‘Three Wise Men and a Baby.’
Appearing alongside Liebert in the co-lead is Matthew MacCaull, a popular actor whose notable credits include the shows ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,’ ‘Hailey Dean Mystery,’ ‘The Irrational,’ and ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.’ He also appears in movies with similar romantic thriller backdrops, such as ‘Infidelity Can Be Fatal,’ ‘Deadly Midwife,’ and ‘My Wife’s Secret Life.’ Farrah Aviva portrays Ellen Tolbert in the movie. She gained early recognition as a receptionist in the thriller show ‘Bates Motel’ before appearing in the TV movies ‘The Christmas Temp’ and ‘A Brush with Christmas.’
Stepping into the roles of Hazel and Alexis Lambert are actresses Shay Galor and Juliette Hawk, respectively. Galor has multiple TV movie credits to her name, including ‘Mommy’s Stolen Memories,’ ‘A Mother’s Fury,’ and ‘The Honeymoon Pact.’ Hawk similarly appears in the Hallmark movies ‘Mystery on Mistletoe Lane,’ ‘A Winning Team,’ as well as Lifetime’s ‘Living with My Mother’s Killer,’ among others. Shiraine Haas portrays Dina Perkins. She may be recognized from the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey‘ trilogy, where she plays Gwen in the latter two parts.
Read More: Lifetime’s Deadly Wives Club: Details of Filming Locations and Cast
