Lady in the Lake (TV series)
2024 American miniseries
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Lady in the Lake is an American period drama television miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Laura Lippman, and starring Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram. Set during the 1960s, Lady in the Lake begins in Baltimore, with the disappearance of a young Jewish girl, Tessie Durst, at a Christmas parade. The series premiered on Apple TV+ on July 19, 2024.[1] The series was generally well received, with Portman and Ingram receiving acclaim for their performances.
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- Alma Har'el
- Briana Belser
- Nambi E. Kelley
- Boaz Yakin
- Sheila Wilson
| Lady in the Lake | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Alma Har'el |
| Based on | |
| Written by |
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| Directed by | Alma Har'el |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Marcus Norris |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Production locations | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Cinematography | Lachlan Milne |
| Editors |
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| Running time | 44–54 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
| Release | July 19 – August 23, 2024 |
Premise
In 1960s Baltimore, Maddie Schwartz, an investigative journalist working on an unsolved murder, clashes with a woman working to advance the agenda of the city's Black community. Maddie leaves her overbearing husband and Pikesville home to pursue a career as a newspaper reporter.
She becomes obsessed with unraveling the mystery of two separate killings: those of eleven-year-old Tessie Durst and a bartender named Cleo Johnson.[2]
Cast
Main
- Natalie Portman as Maddie Schwartz
- Moses Ingram as Cleo Johnson
- Y'lan Noel as Ferdie Platt
- Brett Gelman as Milton Schwartz
- Byron Bowers as Slappy Johnson
- Noah Jupe as Seth Schwartz
- Josiah Cross as Reggie Robinson
- Mikey Madison as Judith Weinstein
- Pruitt Taylor Vince as Bob Bauer
Recurring
- Wood Harris as Shell Gordon
- Dylan Arnold as Stephen Zawadzkie
- Tyrik Johnson as Teddy
- David Corenswet as Allan Durst
- Charlie Hofheimer as Wallace White
- Ronnie Gene Blevins as Officer Boško
- Mindy Goldberg as Tattie Morgenstern
Guest
- Jennifer Mogbock as Dora Carter
- Bianca Belle as Tessie Durst
- Veralyn Jones as Merva
- Mark Feuerstein as Hal Durst
- Angela Robinson as Myrtle Summer
- Samir Royal as Lionel Johnson
- Hallie Samuels as Mrs. Durst
- Masha Mashkova as Ms. Zawadzkie
- Nikiva Dionne as Patrice Murphy
- David Johnson III as Officer Percy Davis
- Selema Masekela as Cedrick
- Rebecca Spence as Louise Durst
- Daniel London as Dr. Kornblatt
- Sean Ringgold as The Prophet
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by [3] | Teleplay by [4] | Original release date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Did you know seahorses are fish?" | Alma Har'el | Alma Har'el | July 19, 2024 |
| 2 | "It has to do with the search for the marvelous." | Alma Har'el | Alma Har'el | July 19, 2024 |
| 3 | "I was the first to see her dead. You were the last to see her alive." | Alma Har'el | Briana Belser | July 26, 2024 |
| 4 | "Innocence leaves when you discover cruelty. First in others, then in yourself." | Alma Har'el | Nambi E. Kelley | August 2, 2024 |
| 5 | "Every time someone turns up dead in that lake, it does seem to lead to you." | Alma Har'el | Boaz Yakin | August 9, 2024 |
| 6 | "I know who killed Cleo Johnson." | Alma Har'el | Sheila Wilson and Alma Har'el | August 16, 2024 |
| 7 | "My story." | Alma Har'el | Boaz Yakin | August 23, 2024 |
Production
Writing
The television series is based on the novel of the same name. Laura Lippman, the author, took inspiration from two real-life murders that happened in her youth.[2] The first was the abduction and murder of 11-year-old Esther Lebowitz, a white Jewish girl whose case was widely publicized.[6][7][8] The second death was of 33-year-old Shirley Parker, a Black mother and bartender who disappeared and whose body was found in the fountain of the Druid Hill Park Reservoir.[9] Parker's death was covered only in African-American newspapers, specifically the Baltimore Afro-American.[10]
Casting
The miniseries was given the greenlight in March 2021, with Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong'o set to star, and Alma Har'el set to direct all episodes of the series.[3] In April 2022, Y'Lan Noel, Mikey Madison and Brett Gelman were added to the cast.[11] In May 2022, Nyong'o exited the series.[12][13] Moses Ingram was cast in June to replace her.[14] Noah Jupe, Mike Epps, Byron Bowers. Josiah Cross and Pruitt Taylor Vince were added in July.[15]
Filming
Filming began in April 2022,[11] with production taking place in Baltimore.[16] Production paused briefly in late August 2022, when the production purportedly received threats of violence while filming in the city.[17] Police investigation showed the threats to have been unsubstantiated.[18]
Reception
Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 75% approval rating with an average rating of 7/10, based on 65 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Dense with intriguing drama if too muddled by digressions and stylistic flourishes, Lady in the Lake is a well-acted mystery with a lot on its mind."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 61 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[20] Natalie Portman received critical acclaim for her acting performance in the miniseries.[21]
Accolades
The series was nominated at the 23rd Visual Effects Society Awards in the category of Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode.[22]