Lady in the Lake

The lives of two women are put on a collision course in Lady in the Lake, the newest Apple TV+ thriller. Set in 1960s Baltimore, these women are Cleo (Moses Ingram), a mother struggling to support her kids while working at a nightclub, and Maddie (Natalie Portman), an affluent housewife with aspirations of becoming a journalist. When a young girl goes missing during a Thanksgiving Day parade, however, the parallel lives of the protagonists are brought together.

Opening with a voiceover from a deceased Cleo backed by bluesy horns, the show has an enticingly pulpy noir tone to it, which bleeds throughout the opening episodes. From the period-appropriate soundtrack to the exceptional production design, this series looks and feels like a classic noir mystery. Adding to the polish are the solid performances from Ingram and Portman in the leading roles. With Ingram’s charisma and Portman’s flare for the dramatic, both actors are a delight to watch and consistently steal whatever scenes they’re in.

It’s therefore somewhat frustrating that, around halfway through, the series is struggling to find its stride. Alongside the plot moving so fast that there’s not much time for the mystery to soak in, the script has a hard time with pulling its thematic ideas together. Underneath the initial thriller premise, Lady in the Lake is primarily about discrimination and inequality faced at the time. Although the protagonists come from two different walks of life, they both face variations of prejudice daily, especially because they’re both women. While Cleo is held under the thumb of her male employer, for example, Maddie is unable to sell her own car without her domineering husband’s signature. These elements are so prolific and on-the-nose that they quickly overshadow the rest of the plot, leaving viewers with a poignant portrayal of 60s America, but a lacklustre thriller.

With still half of this Apple TV+ series still left to go, there’s still time for it to find its footing. As it stands, though, Lady in the Lake is a well-made but disappointingly underwhelming noir thriller.

Andrew Murray

Lady in the Lake is released on Apple TV+ on 19^th July 2024.

Watch the trailer for Lady in the Lake here: