Where was Desperate Lies shot? All filming locations explored

Desperate Lies is a Portuguese-language drama series that premiered on July 5, 2024, on Netflix. The Brazilian show was entirely shot in its native country. Most of the scenes were filmed in the city of Rio de Janeiro, whose sunny and illuminated atmosphere provided a stark contrast to the dark and riveting story of Liana and her sons.

However, by the end of the series, the story became intuned with the location and provided a bright ray of hope and happiness to the characters as well as the viewers.

Desperate Lies is created by Ângela Chaves and stars Juliana Paes, Vladimir Brichta, Felipe Abib and Paloma Duarte in prominent roles.

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Desperate Lies was filmed in Rio de Janeiro

Desperate Lies is entirely set in the majestic city of Rio de Janeiro, the city where the Brazilian film industry is located.

The nature of the show doesn't require much real location shoots, and most of the filming has been done on set. However, there are many establishing shots used in the series that show the beauty of the city.

Some of the recognizable filming locations are:

Sugar Loaf Mountain

To add to the visual appeal of the series, Sugar Loaf Mountain, along with the majestic shots of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, Christ the Redeemer, and the surrounding areas of Mount Corcovado are shot.

Pedra Branca State Park

Some of the outdoor shots were filmed in the gorgeous Pedra Branca State Park. The Rio Film Commission helped the production team to shoot comfortably in this busy location.

Barra da Tijuca

Barra da Tijuca is a location in the western part of Rio where posh people reside. The location was used to depict the affluent lives of the characters in the show.

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What is Desperate Lies about?

Desperate Lies tells the story of Liana, who on finding out about her husband Tomas' affair, goes to a party and is taken advantage of by her friend's brother Oscar. Things take an unexpected turn when she gets pregnant with twins, but each one of them belongs to a different father.

Mateus is fathered by Tomas, while Marcos is the result of Oscar's assault. Tomas refuses to accept Marcos as his son, but Liana isn't able to give him up for adoption. Tomas, in his rage, kills Oscar and goes to jail for murder. Liana raises her kids by herself without revealing the secret.

However, when Tomas comes back, he uses the story for his political aspiration, threatening to reveal Liana's secret that could destroy her children's lives.

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How does Desperate Lies end?

The 17-episode-long series explores Liana's trauma and her desperate attempt to hold on to the lies. But in the end, she decides to reveal the truth to her sons. She tells them about her rape and her reluctance to carry Marcos.

Marcos is devastated initially but soon understands that his brother's and mother's love for him is greater than the truth of his birth. Mateus breaks his relationship with his father Tomas and humiliates him publicly, which leads to the demise of his political career.

Liana tells her story to the world and becomes a social media star and author. She also starts a new relationship with her son's teacher Dante. Tomas attempts to kill them by setting their house on fire but is arrested and jailed.

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Desperate Lies season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.