Composer:
Mark BradshawCast:
Elisabeth Moss, Thomas M. Wright, Holly Hunter, Peter Mullan, Michelle Ang, Jacek Koman, David Wenham, Jay Ryan, Cohen Holloway, Lucy Lawless, Ben Barrington (more)Seasons(2) / Episodes(13)
-
Season 1 (2013) - 7 episodes
-
China Girl (2017) - 6 episodes
Plots(1)
A 12 year old girl, walks chest deep into the freezing waters of a South Island lake in New Zealand. She is five months pregnant and won't say who the father is. Then she disappears. Robin Griffin is a gutsy but inexperienced detective called in to investigate. But as Robin becomes more and more obsessed with the search for Tui, she slowly begins to realise that finding Tui is tantamount to finding herself - a self she has kept well hidden. Set against one of the most amazing and untouched landscapes left on the planet, Top of the Lake is a powerful and haunting story about our search for happiness where the dream of paradise attracts it dark twin, the fall. (2 Entertain Video)
(more)Reviews of this series by the user Malarkey (2)
Season 1 (2013) (S01)
Top of the Lake is... intense. Really intense. First off, coming from the Lord of the Rings era, I always thought New Zealand was full of chill, nature-loving folks. But this show? Not so much. It's also incredibly feminist—almost to the point where I'm shocked there are any halfway normal male characters at all. Most of the guys are just way off, and I really struggled to connect with the cast. Even though it's a solid crime drama, it gives off the vibe that the entire area is inhabited by psychopaths instead of regular people, which is definitely a problem. That said, it's still a fascinating watch. I’m curious to see what season two brings—I'm guessing Australia’s next in line to get roasted, and maybe it deserves it more.
()
China Girl (2017) (S02)
I was hoping the second season would bring some fresh changes—new setting, new cast—it had potential. But no, it didn’t. It carries the same vibe as the first season. Sure, there’s a new case, new characters, and Australia replacing New Zealand, but the overall result feels exactly the same. The characters are still annoying, with Elisabeth Moss being even more grating than in season one. Jane Campion’s direction is unapologetically feminist, which is fine, but for some reason, her work always leaves me feeling pretty uncomfortable as a guy.
()