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Poster for The Armstrong Lie

The Armstrong Lie

Seen it?

2013 | 124 min | Documentary

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It earned strong reviews (82% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for the curious. If you loved Icarus, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Eye-opening.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 2 hr 4 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated R: meant for adults.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

In 2009, Alex Gibney was hired to make a film about Lance Armstrong's comeback to cycling. The project was shelved when the doping scandal erupted, and re-opened after Armstrong's confession. The Armstrong Lie picks up in 2013 and presents a riveting, insider's view of the unraveling of one of the most extraordinary stories in the history of sports. As Lance Armstrong says himself, "I didn't live a lot of lies, but I lived one big one."

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    82% on Rotten Tomatoes, 67 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.0 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerWeak

    $429K worldwide

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 11K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Alex Gibney

  • Lance ArmstrongSelf
  • Betsy AndreuSelf
  • Frankie AndreuSelf
  • Reed AlbergottiSelf
  • Johan BruyneelSelf
  • Daniel CoyleSelf
  • Michele FerrariSelf
  • Michael BloombergSelf (archive footage)
  • Anderson CooperSelf (archive footage)
  • Bill ClintonSelf (archive footage)