Apple TV+ Review: ‘Lady in the Lake’ is a Moody Period Mystery with Strong Performances

Those who are dead are no longer able to advocate for themselves, but that doesn’t stop the living from taking an active interest and trying to give them back a voice. Based on the 2020 Laura Lippman novel of the same, Lady in the Lake is a mystery in multiple parts, focused on two protagonists, one of whom is trying to solve the murder of the other. Their stories are presented in parallel, creating an immersive, dizzying, and transporting viewing experience.

Set in 1960s Baltimore, Maddy Schwartz (Natalie Portman) and Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram) face struggles of the era, both within their communities and in relationship to the outside world. Maddy’s observant Jewish faith requires her to hide her identity from many she sees who wouldn’t want to associate with her but reveals a strict chauvinism at home that doesn’t match well with her enterprising spirit. Cleo has limited work opportunities due to the color of her skin (and the prejudice of others) and is increasingly and unwillingly drawn into a life of crime that she doesn’t want for herself. The circumstances surrounding the death of an eleven-year-old girl draw Maddy in to an increasingly unnerving world that soon begins to consume her.

Lady in the Lake is an artistic collaboration between writer-director Alma Har’el and executive producer and star Portman, who bring this story to stirring life. Audiences will be immediately brought back to another time with the emphasis on period costumes and the very deliberate look of each scene, which manages to draw out the colors and motifs of their settings while also highlighting the isolation both protagonists feel. It’s an experience that’s just as visually striking as it is emotionally vivid.

This series is significant since it marks Portman’s first major TV role, allowing her to bring the commitment she typically displays in her film work to a long-form story like this. She inhabits Maddy with a nervous energy that catches some off-guard and makes others suspicious, not nearly as subservient as the men around her are used to but also still aware of the game she needs to play. She’s very well-paired with the exceptional Ingram, an Emmy nominee for The Queen’s Gambit who also stole scenes in Obi-Wan Kenobi (which provides her a tangential link to Portman’s Star Wars history).

Both Portman and Ingram disappear into their characters, who change throughout the show as their lives undergo unpredictable and irreversible developments. The supporting cast is richly stocked with talented actors as well, including young talent like Mikey Madison, whose role in Sean Baker’s upcoming Anora has earned her much acclaim, and Noah Jupe, reteaming with his Honey Boy director Har’el. Another standout is Y’lan Noel, whose past work in films like A Lot of Nothing and The Weekend gives way to something entirely different and quite memorable here. Character actor Pruitt Taylor Vince is dependably terrific as a reporter who reluctantly teams up with Maddy’s citizen journalist.

Lady in the Lake is a seven-part series playing out over six weeks thanks to its two-episode series premiere, enabling audiences to sink deep into its content before finding a slow way out and in the direction of answers. That approach won’t be for everyone, but for those willing to be immersed and ready to be patient, the rewards will be all the more effective. Portman and Ingram are a captivating pair anchoring an entrancing and often maddening mystery, ensuring that their characters remain consistently interesting even when the story surrounding them doesn’t seem to have nearly as firm a sense of where it’s headed.

Series Rating: 7/10

Awards Buzz: Portman is sure to be an awards draw, and the fact that Ingram got nominated for an Emmy over her more known The Queen’s Gambit costar Marielle Heller means that she’s evidently well-respected. Other limited series may come along later in next year’s Emmy season, but this one is likely to leave an impression.