Lady in the Lake, the new Apple TV+ series from Honey Boy director Alma Har’el, promises a straightforward investigative thriller, but delivers something far more complex. Based on Laura Lippman’s novel, this genre-bending, surreal drama splits its focus between the social and political issues of its 20th-century characters and the murder mysteries that drive its plot. The series boasts a shockingly sprawling scope and a confident, stylish aesthetic, employing disorienting dream sequences and pulpy plot twists to keep viewers on edge. While admirable, this ambitious approach sometimes leads to a frustratingly elusive experience, leaving viewers grappling to fully grasp the narrative.
Set in post-WWII America, Lady in the Lake tells the story of two interwoven lives: Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman), a Jewish housewife seeking a break from her stifling existence, and Cleo Johnson (The Queen’s Gambit star Moses Ingram), a Black mother determined to escape Baltimore’s criminal underworld for a better future for herself and her sons. Their paths briefly cross in the series’ opening episode, but their stories become intertwined when Cleo is found dead at the bottom of a lake fountain. While this might seem like a spoiler, it’s not. Lady in the Lake explicitly reveals Cleo’s fate from the start, building towards it over several episodes.
As Cleo desperately seeks to escape her soul-crushing job under the watchful eye of Baltimore’s Black crime kingpin, Shell Gordon (a captivating Wood Harris), Maddie, fueled by the disappearance of an 11-year-old Jewish girl on Thanksgiving, uses the event as an excuse to leave her unrewarding marriage to Milton (Brett Gelman) and pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. Cleo’s death becomes a pivotal point for Maddie, providing an opportunity to secure her new life.
Portman portrays Maddie’s initial disillusionment with her marriage with a contagious nervous energy, shifting from sharp to cartoonish throughout the series. Har’el, who directed all seven episodes and co-wrote several, mirrors the intensity of Portman’s performance with intimate close-ups, shaky handheld shots, and dreamlike images of suburban malaise. However, this stylistic approach doesn’t translate consistently to Maddie’s post-marriage adventures, stretching the show’s brutal reality to its breaking point and blurring the line between self-criticism and stylistic indulgence.
Cleo’s story, in contrast, feels more considered and fully realized. Ingram’s performance is complemented by the moving performances of her supporting cast, particularly Byron Bowers as Cleo’s on-again, off-again comedian husband, Slappy. The supporting characters in Cleo’s life, from Harris’ Shell to Bowers’ Slappy, quickly emerge as multidimensional figures within Lady in the Lake’s largely segregated, politically turbulent world. This stark contrast highlights the uneven development of many characters in Maddie’s world, like her son, Seth (Noah Jupe).
While Ingram’s performance deepens and becomes emotionally vulnerable as Cleo’s story unfolds, Portman’s performance takes a colder, more exaggerated turn. In the series’ second half, Maddie’s narrative loses its initial focus as the show attempts to simultaneously draw her into Cleo’s world and criticize her self-centered interest in solving Cleo’s murder.
Lady in the Lake further expands its already expansive scope in its final episodes by briefly introducing real-life white nationalist rallies and instances of anti-Semitism. These elements, however, feel rushed and underdeveloped, their inclusion ultimately not fully justified.
The series’ ambition to be more than just another true crime thriller is both its strength and its weakness. Lady in the Lake offers moments of raw, unsettling emotional intensity and politically provocative imagery, but ultimately becomes bogged down by its own sprawling ambitions.
Despite its refreshingly feminist take on the murder mystery genre, Lady in the Lake attempts to do too much, overloading its story. While this might not be the worst fate for a TV series, it’s frustrating to see a show as compelling as Lady in the Lake ultimately sink beneath the weight of its own aspirations.
The first two episodes of Lady in the Lake are available now on Apple TV+. New episodes premiere weekly on Fridays. Digital Trends was given early access to the entire seven-episode series.
