---
title: "Poker Face"
year: 2023
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/poker-face"
fi1m_id: "poker-face"
imdb_id: "tt14269590"
tmdb_id: 120998
wikidata_id: "Q111944613"
fi1m_score: 82
critics_score: 81
critics_reviews: 6
published: "2026-09-12"
updated: "2026-09-15T21:38:44.936611+00:00"
region: "IE"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Poker Face (2023)

Created by Rian Johnson · IFCO 18 · Crime, Mystery

## Identity

Poker Face

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/poker-face
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** poker-face
- **IMDb ID:** tt14269590
- **TMDB ID:** 120998
- **Wikidata ID:** Q111944613
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14269590/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/120998, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111944613

**Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 81 from 6 reviews

*In a sentence:* A lie detector with a rasp and no use for a trouser press

> Natasha Lyonne makes *Poker Face* excellent company: a funny, warm crime series that enjoys the work of catching a killer. A few cases dawdle, particularly when they keep their most interesting person off screen.

## Synopsis

Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) can tell when someone is lying. A waitress and drifter, she encounters a succession of murders and brings that ability to bear on the people involved. Each self-contained case lets the audience see the crime before Charlie works her way towards the culprit, shifting the question from who did it to how she will catch them. Her talkative manner and dishevelled appearance accompany a knack for noticing what others would prefer to conceal. Adrien Brody, Benjamin Bratt and Chloë Sevigny are among the supporting cast.

## Review

*Poker Face* is a warmly recommended crime series, with one recurring irritation: some cases take too long to give Natasha Lyonne enough to do. Its self-contained mysteries are built around Charlie Cale, a waitress and drifter who can spot a lie, and the pleasure is in watching her work out what that lie means. Rian Johnson, among the programme’s writers and directors, understands the appeal of a familiar procedure carried out by someone we like. The next murder is a perfectly serviceable reason to spend more time with her.

The series follows the *Columbo* approach, letting us know about the crime before its investigator catches up. We listen to a suspect’s answers with information Charlie still has to acquire, which makes the talk itself part of the suspense. Knowing that a statement is false does not explain everything, so the lie-detecting gift still leaves room for questions and deduction. The format also lets an episode finish its business, a modest courtesy that television can be reluctant to extend.

Lyonne supplies the reason to care about all this machinery. Her rasping voice and unhurried chatter give Charlie a social ease that sits agreeably with her dishevelled appearance; she seems like someone who might talk for a while before mentioning the important thing. We laughed at the contrast between her untidy manner and the certainty with which she recognises a lie. Lyonne makes that ability funny without making Charlie smug, and her canniness never wipes out the warmth that keeps these encounters from becoming a procession of people being shown up.

The supporting cast includes Adrien Brody, Benjamin Bratt and Chloë Sevigny, giving the series plenty of company for Lyonne. Changing the people around Charlie helps the repeated structure stay lively, though the guest performances cannot always compensate for her absence. Steve Yedlin and Jaron Presant are among the cinematographers, and the images have a tidiness that makes Charlie’s rumpled appearance funnier. Judy Rhee’s production design helps distinguish one case from the next, so the familiar structure need not mean looking at the same thing all evening.

The problem is the time spent getting back to Charlie. Editors including Melissa Kent and Bob Ducsay have the delicate job of making a crime interesting before the person we came to see gets involved, and the rhythm is not equally sure in every case. When an opening goes on, we start waiting for Lyonne rather than attending to what is there. The music, with Nathan Johnson among those credited, is an agreeable accompaniment but seldom the source of the programme’s personality. Her voice supplies more of that than the score.

We would take these as individual evening cases rather than hurry through them in a long sitting. Repetition is part of the pleasure, but the less nimble episodes are more noticeable when placed directly beside the brisk ones. Anyone needing a mystery to conceal its culprit will have to adjust to watching an investigator catch up with what we already know. Lyonne makes that adjustment easy. Give Charlie an evening, then save the next case for another.

*Fi1m score 82, published 12 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The consensus is warmly positive: Poker Face makes the self-contained television mystery feel inviting again. Praise centres on Natasha Lyonne, whose rasping delivery, dishevelled charm and canny performance give the lie-detecting lead character more appeal than the premise alone might promise. Critics repeatedly welcome the Columbo-style structure, with the pleasure lying in how the culprit is caught. The stylish presentation, guest performances and carefully constructed cases also draw approval, alongside a warmth that keeps the nostalgia from feeling dutiful.

The differences are chiefly matters of enthusiasm rather than fundamental disagreement. Reservations cluster around the rhythm of individual episodes: Vulture finds that some drag or lack buoyancy, while The Hollywood Reporter notes uneven pacing and stretches that underuse Lyonne. Neither treats those faults as fatal. Across the reviews, the episodic formula is largely a strength; the question is how consistently each instalment delivers its pleasures.

## Straight answers

**Is Poker Face worth watching?**

*Poker Face* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a self-contained mystery solved by good company, and we scored it 82. Natasha Lyonne's Charlie Cale, a drifter who can spot a lie, carries each case, and the series is funny and warm rather than grim. A few episodes dawdle before she arrives, so we would take them one evening at a time.

**How long is Poker Face, and what is it rated?**

*Poker Face* is rated 18 by the IFCO in Ireland. It is a crime and mystery series.

**Where can I watch Poker Face in Ireland?**

*Poker Face* is available to buy from Amazon Prime Video. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Poker Face, and is it suitable for children?**

*Poker Face* is a 15 in the UK and TV-MA in the US, so it is not for children. Each episode is built around a murder shown before the investigator catches up, so the violence is present rather than hidden, though the tone is closer to comedy than horror. Older teenagers used to crime drama should manage; the squeamish will find little to dread.

**How does Poker Face compare to Jonathan Creek?**

*Poker Face* and [*Jonathan Creek*](https://film.one/tv/jonathan-creek) are both mysteries carried by an eccentric problem-solver, and both make good company for an evening. *Poker Face* shows us the crime first and lets us watch Charlie catch up, while *Jonathan Creek* keeps its puzzles hidden and rewards attention to the explanation. We find *Poker Face* the more consistent and the warmer of the two; *Jonathan Creek* has the more intricate puzzles when it is at its best.

### Reviews we read (8)

- **The Times**, Hugo Rifkind (85/100, inferred): The critic loves the human lie detector premise and calls the show brilliantly done, sleek and smart with very funny moments thanks to Lyonne's boho dishevelment. They single out the way the structure makes the audience complicit with the detective and her wayward charisma. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/poker-face-television-review-hugo-rifkind-vkfqsnwfr)
- **The Guardian** (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the series as delivering fun with a refreshing twist on the mystery-of-the-week structure and highlights Natasha Lyonne’s charismatic performance as the lead detective. They single out the assured, stylish television and the magnetic Columbo update in Lyonne’s character. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jan/26/poker-face-tv-review-peacock-natasha-lyonne)
- **The Telegraph** (4/5): The critic finds it a larkishly enjoyable feat of cultural mixology that executes the killer-of-the-week formula to near-perfection. They single out Natasha Lyonne’s rasping, charismatic performance as the hard-drinking lie-detecting waitress. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2023/05/26/poker-face-sky-max-review-natasha-lyonne-rian-johnson/)
- **Vulture** (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the show a sturdy, reliable episodic mystery in the Columbo style, praising its self-contained episodes, Natasha Lyonne's performance, and warm worldview, while noting some episodes drag or lack buoyancy. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/poker-face-review-natasha-lyonne-rian-johnson-peacock-series.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Daniel Fienberg: The critic calls it a fun romp and a TV mystery fan’s delight with nostalgic charm, tight mysteries, and strong guest stars. Some episodes have off pacing and underuse Lyonne, though the standalone howcatchems are carefully constructed and efficient. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/poker-face-review-natasha-lyonne-rian-johnson-peacock-1235309159/)
- **Variety**, Daniel D'Addario: The critic finds the series a clever, winning mystery throwback that succeeds as vintage episodic TV. Lyonne's calibrated, garrulous performance as the lie-detecting drifter is singled out for praise as she navigates standalone cases with canniness and self-preservation. [Read](https://variety.com/2023/tv/reviews/poker-face-review-1235493644/)
- **Collider**, Maggie Lovitt (A): The critic praises the series as a modern homage to Columbo, highlighting its inverted howcatchem structure and Natasha Lyonne's compelling performance as the street-smart lead character. Johnson’s guiding vision and the strong ensemble of guest stars and directors are singled out for making it a refreshing return to episodic storytelling. [Read](https://collider.com/poker-face-series-review/)
- **Digital Spy**, Chris Longridge (80/100, inferred): Praises Rian Johnson for creating a fun, charming Columbo-like episodic series with self-contained stories, highlighting Lyonne and guest stars, and the risk-taking in episodic TV. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a44015853/poker-face-review/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Rian Johnson
- **Creator:** Rian Johnson
- **Director:** Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne, Lucky McKee, Adam Arkin, Iain B. MacDonald, Clea DuVall, Mimi Cave, Tiffany Johnson, Miguel Arteta, John Dahl, Ti West, Adamma Ebo, Janicza Bravo, Ben Sinclair
- **Writer:** Wyatt Cain, Alice Ju, Tea Ho, Rian Johnson, Laura Deeley, Natasha Lyonne, Charlie Peppers, Taofik Kolade, Tony Tost, Nora Zuckerman, Andrew Sodroski, Raphie Cantor, Megan Amram, Christine Boylan, Lilla Zuckerman, Chris Downey, Kate Thulin
- **Story:** Joe Lawson, CS Fischer
- **Teleplay:** Joe Lawson
- **Cinematography:** Jaron Presant, Christine Kapo Ng, Steve Yedlin, Tari Segal
- **Editor:** Shaheed Qaasim, Paul Swain, Glenn Garland, Bob Ducsay, Melissa Kent
- **Music:** Judson Crane, Nathan Johnson, Boys Noize
- **Production design:** Judy Rhee
- **Costume design:** Leah Katznelson, Trayce Gigi Field
- **Producer:** Wyatt Cain, Cameron Angeli
- **Cast:** Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale; Adrien Brody as Sterling Frost Jr.; Benjamin Bratt as Cliff Legrand; Dascha Polanco as Natalie; Larry Brown as George Boyle; Lil Rel Howery as Taffy; Shane Paul McGhie as Austin / Hanky T. Pickins; Michael Reagan as Jerry
- **Certificate (IFCO):** 18
- **Release (Ireland):** 26 January 2023
- **Genres:** Crime, Mystery
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gmozhMRbmA

## Where to watch in Ireland

- Amazon Prime Video: buy, hd

*Checked 2026-09-12.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BG, BR, CA, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, GB, HR, HU, IE, MX, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Columbo* (1971): The original pleasure of knowing the culprit and enjoying the investigator’s approach.
- *Jonathan Creek* (1997), Fi1m 78: Another eccentric problem-solver whose cases make good company for an evening. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/jonathan-creek.md)
- *The Last of Sheila* (1973): A talkative ensemble mystery for those who enjoy noticing the carefully placed clue.
- *Inspector Montalbano* (1999): An observant investigator, a strong sense of place and room for comedy.
- *The Kid Detective* (2020): A dishevelled investigator and dry humour, with a considerably darker aftertaste.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/poker-face