The acclaimed 2019 novel by Laura Lippman is now a sumptuous seven part prestige drama series. It has nothing to do with Raymond Chandler’s The Lady in the Lake, in case you were wondering.
How to watch Lady in the Lake in New Zealand
Lady in the Lake is now streaming in New Zealand exclusively on Apple TV+.
Lady in the Lake: Limited Series
What is Lady in the Lake about?
Set in Baltimore, Marylands in 1966, the series follows Jewish housewife turned budding investigative reporter Maddie Schwartz as she digs into the murder of an 11-year-old girl. Her investigation crosses paths with Cleo Johnson, a black mother with connections to the city’s political underbelly. When Cleo also turns up dead, a web of corruption and subterfuge is uncovered.
This series comes to us from Israeli-American filmmaker Alma Har’el (Honey Boy) and it’s being described as a “feverish noir thriller” that deals in themes of race and feminism. Author Lippman was inspired by two real life murders that occurred in 1960s Baltimore, and her book has been praised for its historical detail. Hopefully the series can capture the same sense of place and authenticity.
The cast of Lady in the Lake
Natalie Portman is Maddie Schwartz; Moses Ingram is Cleo Johnson; Y’lan Noel is Ferdie Platt; Mikey Madison is Judith Weinstein; Sean Ringgold is The Prophet; Brett Gelman is Milton; Noah Jupe is Seth; with Mike Epps, Byron Bowers, Selema Masekela, Josiah Cross, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Ronnie Gene Blevins, David Corenswet, and Angela Robinson in support.
Lady in the Lake trailer
Why we’re excited about Lady in the Lake
This is exactly the kind of pedigree drama adaptation that Apple does exceedingly well, so that alone makes it worth a look. The source novel has been absolutely lauded – Stephen King called it extraordinary, and he ought to know. The cast is impeccable, and star Natalie Portman is at the peak of her powers right now. Everything indicates this one is must-see TV.
