Lady in the Lake is an American thriller television miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Laura Lippman. The series premiered on Apple TV+ on July 19, 2024.[1]
In 1960s Baltimore, an investigative journalist working on an unsolved murder clashes with a woman working to advance the agenda of the city's Black community. She ditches her abusive, overbearing husband and Pikesville home to pursue a career as a newspaper reporter. She becomes obsessed with unraveling the mystery of two separate killings: eleven-year-old Tessie Durst and a bartender named Cleo Johnson.[2]
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 death was heavily publicized.[6][7][8] The second death was 33-year-old Shirley Parker, a Black woman who was found dead in the fountain of the Druid Hill Park Reservoir.[9] Parker's death was only given attention in African-American newspapers, specifically the Baltimore Afro-American.[10]
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 would be cast to replace her in June.[14] Noah Jupe, Mike Epps, Byron Bowers. Josiah Cross and Pruitt Taylor Vince would be added in July.[15]
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]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 77% approval rating with an average rating of 7/10, based on 61 critic reviews. Natalie Portman received critical acclaim for her acting performance in the miniseries.[19] 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."[20] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 61 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21]
The series was nominated at the 23rd Visual Effects Society Awards in the category of Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode.[22]