Where was We Were Liars filmed? All shooting locations explored

We Were Liars aired on Prime Video on June 18, 2025. Based on E. Lockhart's best-selling book of the same name, the eight-episode series is a psychological drama about the wealthy Sinclair family.

The show was made by Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie. Emily Alyn Lind plays Cadence Sinclair in the show, which follows family secrets as they come to light over the course of a summer at a private island estate.

The story is about Cadence's return to the family's island vacation home after an unknown injury from the summer before. As she searches for the truth, her journey takes her along beautiful coastlines and fancy family homes. The scenes were filmed in real places with lots of details that helped shape the mood and story of We Were Liars.

We Were Liars was mostly shot in Nova Scotia, Canada, and Los Angeles, California. The show takes place on the fictional island of Beechwood, but scenic locations in Nova Scotia were used to show the island's coastal charm.

East Chezzetcook, Dartmouth, Chester, and Lunenburg were all used for filming, as well as studios in Los Angeles for indoor scenes.

Exploring all the filming locations of We Were Liars

East Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia

East Chezzetcook, a small town on the eastern shore of Halifax, Nova Scotia, was one of the most important places where We Were Liars was filmed. This place was used to represent the made-up island of Beechwood, where the Sinclair family got together every summer.

The production used Meisner's Island, a small island off the coast of East Chezzetcook, to stand in for the Sinclair estate. The show's most important outdoor scenes were filmed here, at a beachfront house that was used as the family's summer home.

With its sandy beaches and Atlantic Ocean, the island made a suitable setting for the story's themes of being alone, beauty, and a sense of dread. From June to September 2024, when the movie was being shot, the summer setting was captured authentically.

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Dartmouth, a suburb of Halifax that is across the harbor, was a big part of making We Were Liars look and feel more coastal. Dartmouth, which is known for its maritime history and colorful waterfront, was used for a number of outdoor scenes and setting shots.

Scenes that needed open spaces, docks, and boat views were set in places like King's Wharf Marina, Lake Banook, and more. The show's otherwise sad mood was lifted by the lively community style.

A number of shots were taken in Burnside, a business district in Dartmouth that added variety and made the production more manageable. It was also possible to film scenes that needed specific lighting, effects, or camera setups on a soundstage in Dartmouth.

Chester, Nova Scotia

We Were Liars also filmed in the village of Chester, which is on the South Shore of Nova Scotia and sits on Mahone Bay. Chester, which is known for its calm harbors and maritime feel, had places that fit the Sinclair family's world of exclusivity and elegance.

Some outdoor shots for the show had to have a calm, high-class look. The village's boat docks, blue ocean waters, and quiet streets were used for these. The area also has places to kayak and sail, which provides a bit of summer fun to the series.

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

We Were Liars was set in Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has both historic charm and rough coastal beauty. The well-known Ovens Natural Park, which can be found at 326 Ovens Road, was used for some scenes. It is known for its sea caves and cliff views.

Los Angeles, California

The majority of We Were Liars was shot in Nova Scotia, but some scenes were filmed in Los Angeles. The production used high-end studios in Los Angeles to film important indoor scenes, especially ones that needed complex lighting, precise camera movement, or water stage effects.

When they shot inside in Los Angeles, they had control over things like lighting and sound, which is important for scenes with a lot of dialogue. Studio space probably also helped with scenes that needed to be reshot or had special effects added, which would have been harder to plan on location.

What happens in We Were Liars season 1?

Cadence Sinclair is the main character of We Were Liars. She is from the wealthy and secretive Sinclair family. They get together every summer on their own island, Beechwood, which is off the coast of New England.

Cayce became very close with her cousins Johnny and Mirren, as well as with their friend Gat, during the summer of 2015. They were known as the "Liars" as a group. But in Summer 16, Cadence was in a terrible accident that left her with a serious head injury and no memory. In the summer of 2017, she went back to figure out what had happened.

As Cadence goes back to places she knows and gets back in touch with the Liars, memories start to come back to her. She finally remembers that the group had planned to set fire to the Clairmont mansion to show their disapproval of how the family was being greedy and manipulative.

Everyone had a part to play, but the plan went horribly wrong because Cadence took too long to try to save the dogs. Gat, Johnny, and Mirren all died in the fire, and as a way to deal with the trauma, Cadence blocked out the truth.

During the summer, Cadence interacts with the Liars' hallucinations without realizing it. In the end, she accepts that they have died, says goodbye, and walks away from the Sinclair legacy, determined to live without its weight.

We Were Liars is available to stream on Prime Video.

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