Creators: Jane Campion, Gerard Lee
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Thomas Wright, Peter Mullan, David Wenham, Holly Hunter
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 342 minutes
Extras: Interviews with the cast and crew
From writer/creator Jane Campion you’d expect something a bit out of the ordinary. After all Campion has brought us IN THE CUT and THE PIANO amongst many others. Paired with co-creator and writer Gerard Lee the two have crafted TOP OF THE LAKE, a series full of tension, intrigue and darkness – but is it all a little too much?
At the beginning of episode one we meet Tui (Joe) who walks into a lake before being taken into Police custody. Soon after Tui, who is 12 years old and pregnant, disappears and a hunt, and investigation begins.
To detail the goings on of TOP OF THE LAKE is impossible. In each episode, save a rather dull fourth, there is enough going on to confound the viewer and make them utterly engrossed. Set amongst the beautiful New Zealand highlands, and powered along by the fantastic lead Elisabeth Moss as Detective Robin Griffin, all of the ingredients are in place for TOP OF THE LAKE to reach where few shows can even aspire. But be warned this isn’t for everyone.
From the start the series is a difficult watch; not a single character is completely likeable with many being repugnant, and horrible company. But more importantly they are impossible to relate to which makes each hour episode a struggle to completely accept. Of course this struggle is what will draw some in, but others will find passing the second episode near impossible thanks to some of the adult themes explored e.g. incest, rape, murder, and sex with minors. But for those able to look past the themes there is plenty to find enjoyment in including the questionable characters development and seeing some of the less-likeable folk get their comeuppance.
With top-quality short-series shows such as LUTHER and SHERLOCK available this would seem a golden age for those unwilling to commit to 12, 13 or 24 episode series, and whilst TOP OF THE LAKE may not reach the heights set by these shows it is still a brave and thoughtful story that makes the viewer question the characters and involve themselves. Some will find it too dour and depressing, but those it strikes a chord with will find lots to get their teeth into.
TOP OF THE LAKE is available on DVD from 19th August
