Lady in the Lake

^{Review by AJ}

Stylish and gorgeously moody, Lady in the Lake is AppleTV+’s latest high-profile drama miniseries starring Oscar winner Natalie Portman. Adapted from Laura Lippman’s novel of the same name, the story is set in 1960s Baltimore and features an investigation into not one, but two unsolved murders. Alma Ha’rel, creator and director of the series, imbues the series with her signature swanky cinematography, making Lady in the Lake not only a compelling murder mystery, but also a visually pleasing one.

Portman plays Maddie Schwartz, a Jewish housewife who, stifled by her domestic suburban life, leaves her domineering husband to become a journalist. She quickly becomes engrossed in investigating two separate murders happening around the same time. The first victim, Tessie Durst, is an 11-year-old Jewish girl who happens to be the daughter of Maddie’s high school lover, Allan (David Corenswet). The second, a young mother named Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), works as a bartender and participates in the Women’s Rights movement. Told through Cleo’s ominous narration, an intriguing mystery set against the backdrop of America’s political upheaval in the 60’s unfolds. 

The series weaves themes like racism and the women’s movement of the time by placing its focus on the experiences of its dual protagonists. Maddie ditches the relative safety of Pikesville suburb because she can no longer tolerate her husband’s controlling behaviours anymore. Moving to the city and working as a reporter, she blazes a trail for herself despite upsetting her whole family. Cleo endures many challenges as a Black woman with a deadbeat husband, having to work multiple jobs to support her kids. Their struggles are similar but different, confined by the racial and gender views of the society they live in. 

As the murder investigation gets underway, the two women’s trajectories will be pitted in an intertwining story about privilege, class, and repression. Interesting fact: the main event of the drama might be fictional, but the two homicides are based on the real deaths of 11-year-old Esther Lebowitz and 33-year-old Shirley Parker in Baltimore in 1969. 

Indeed, the drama spends as much time exploring the two protagonists’ psyche as it does the killings. Modern mystery shows often do this to varying degrees of success. Mare of Easttown, arguably the best female-led murder show in recent times, is enhanced by the in-depth look into its messy titular protagonist, but many more falter due to the introduction of personal melodrama. Lady in the Lake floats somewhere in between. On one hand, the inclusion of the era’s political climate adds necessary depths to the characters’ struggles. On the other hand, the show can get really indulgent with its narrative flourish.

Indeed, the show’s got some impressive creative flourishes. The artistic camerawork languorously shoots the ladies as if they’re in some kind of perfume ads. The vintage wardrobe and immersive recreation of 1960s aesthetic, both the upper middle-class society and the downtrodden African American community, are spot on. Visually and atmospherically, Ha’rel’s deft touch works. It just feels very style over substance in many instances. 

At times, the deep dives into both women’s domestic lives drastically slow down the pacing of the show. Portman and Ingram are both great at channelling their respective characters’ inner turmoil, but you just cannot shake the feeling of impatience to get to the bottom of the mystery. There is only so much haunting voiceover and glossy presentation can do before attention drifts. 

Nonetheless, Lady in the Lake’s powerhouse performances, pretty visual and intricate storyline still make it a worthy addition to the recent spate of female-focused murder mysteries.