'Lady in the Lake' Review: Apple TV+ thriller misses the mark despite Natalie Portman’s promising small screen debut
Contains spoilers for 'Lady in the Lake'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: With much fanfare, Natalie Portman finally made her television debut with 'Lady in the Lake' on Apple TV+. Based on the 2019 book of the same name by Laura Lippman, the series offers a fresh concept of depicting two distinct women of different races and socioeconomic classes, underscoring their respective personal challenges. While Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman) appears to have a blissful family and a perfect life, she secretly feels suffocated and longs for freedom.
On the other hand, in the dark alleys of a Black neighborhood, Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram) is fighting her own challenges as she works hard to support her family. On the surface, their lives seem to be different in every way, yet deep down, both women feel stifled. Despite never meeting, their stories are parallel as both women struggle to break free from chains and yearn for more.
'Lady in the Lake' shines in some aspects but struggles to engage
In every way, 'Lady in the Lake' has the perfect ingredients to serve a hot and tasty narrative, thanks to its bestselling source material and the show delivers too but in bits and pieces. The show draws attention to the deplorable circumstances that women face and have a ruthlessly genuine tone. One scene that highlights the plight of women is perfectly showcased when Portman's Maddie realizes she cannot leave her life as a wife and mother, despite her best efforts. The moment is tragic and says much about women's problems, regardless of money or status.
While 'Lady in the Lake' does an excellent job of exposing the frightening reality about women, it falls short due to a lack of intrigue and thrill. Yes, the cliffhanger of Cleo's survival sparked a frenzy among fans, but the lack of such moments in the series is a downside.
Another major problem with 'Lady in the Lake' is that it occasionally seems that too many unrelated events are occurring concurrently. For example, you have Maddie's personal troubles, followed by Cleo's struggles, gangster concerns, Tessie Durst's (Bianca Bell) horrible murder, and Stephen Zawadzkie's (Dylan Arnold) plot. I mean, sometimes it seems like everything is happening at once, and other times nothing is happening. The best example of this is Episode 6, when viewers are mostly exposed to Maddie's hallucinations, which, in my opinion, impeded the story's progress and added nothing to the narrative.
Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram deliver standout performances in 'Lady in the Lake'
It must be acknowledged that the show's performances are rather impressive, effectively capturing the essence of the characters's hardships and presenting them on screen.
Natalie Portman, as usual, does what she does best, anchoring the show with her genuine and real depiction of Maddie. Her internal struggle and despair may be familiar to many, successfully emphasizing the personal sacrifices made by women in her position.
Moses Ingram's portrayal of a formidable single mother who strives to provide her family with the best of both worlds is also praiseworthy. Her portrayal of Cleo is fierce, as she skillfully conveys the character's aggressiveness and depth.
That being said, 'Lady in the Lake' is a well-planned mystery series with a talented cast. While the show suffers from some hiccups but it's an important reminder that no matter which era or year you are living in, women always have struggled and continue to do so.
'Lady in the Lake' trailer
