You must be used to watching Natalie Portman shine on the big screen as an A-list Hollywood actress, but she has decided to switch things up, and we are completely on board with this decision. Portman is now starring in Apple TV+‘s latest series, Lady in the Lake, and the two-episode premiere is now available to stream on the platform, if you don’t have your subscription yet, this series should be the reason why.
While we will continue to rave about Portman in this review of Lady in the Lake, plenty of credit also goes to The Queen’s Gambit star Moses Ingram, who shares the spotlight with Portman. These two leading ladies are the reason this series had us hooked, but more on that later in the review, so make sure you stick around!
Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram Shine Through!
Lady in the Lake starts off with a spectacular voice over which is enough to let us know that this isn’t a series you can skip out on. That short yet powerful voice-over is followed by shockingly stunning opening credits after which we are transported to 1966 Baltimore.
Natalie Portman’s introduction in the series might feel a little underwhelming, but stick around because there’s plenty in store, and that’s something we can assure you.
The first episode of Lady in the Lake focuses on the two main characters, the leading ladies of the series, Maddie Schwartz and Cleo Sherwood, played by Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram respectively.
The pilot simply lays down the backdrop for the rest of the series, and while some parts might leave you wondering about their importance, it’s safe to say that the structure of this series will involve plenty of callbacks, so you might want to pay good attention to it.
Several other characters are introduced, but the focus remains on Maddie and Cleo, and just how different their lives are, despite living in Baltimore, at the same time. Of course, there’s also the underlying social commentary, not only about race but also about women and their freedom. There are many layers to Lady in the Lake, and the first episode only touches the surface.
Cleo and Maddie are two women who live in the same city but different worlds, and Lady in the Lake, in its two-episode premiere manages to prove that time and again, and this theme will be followed through in the rest of the series, but the commonalities will eventually rise as well.
Maddie managed to find the body of Tessie Durst, the missing young girl, and this act, in addition to realizing she was tired of her life at home, is more than enough to change her life completely.
Portman does an exceptional job in portraying Maddie, and on the flip side, Ingram embodies Cleo in the most beautiful yet heartbreaking way possible. There’s intrigue, tension, and anger at every nook and corner of Lady in the Lake, and we’re thrilled to find out more about this series.
Conclusion
Lady in the Lake is off to a strong start, and we have no doubt that this Apple TV+ will only get more interesting from this point on. So, make sure you keep a lookout on our website for our review of the next episode!