Before We Were Innocent

February 20, 2023
In the summer of 2008, friends Evangeline, Bess, and Joni from upscale Calabasas, Calif., go to Greece as a high school graduation present, in this twisty psychological thriller from Berman (The Comeback). At a party on Mykonos, Evangeline has a heated argument with Bess; after walking away, Evangeline takes a fatal fall off a cliff while trying to reach the beach. Bess, who was nearby, becomes a murder suspect, and Joni makes up a story for the police, she says, to protect Bess. The two surviving girls wind up spending six months in a Greek prison before being released. Back in California, Joni turns her tragic experience into a multimillion-dollar self-growth business, while Bess, who believes she was responsible for Evangeline’s death, becomes a recluse. In 2018, Joni suddenly shows up at Bess’s door. Joni may be implicated in a crime, and she needs Bess to lie and provide an alibi for her. The suspense rises as Berman skillfully doles out long-held secrets that lead to the truth behind what happened 10 years earlier on Mykonos. This tale of how the emotional bonds forged in youth can define people’s lives long afterward will resonate with many. Agent: David Forrer, InkWell Management.