Top of the Lake (2013–2017) User Reviews

A Beautiful Place Full of Horrible Men

[cherold · 8/10 · 3 March 2015]

Season One Review: I've been looking at the reviews of the first season of this series, and I feel most of the negative ones are from people who simply wanted a very different show. There are inexplicable comparisons with Twin Peaks and complaints about the quality of the mystery, as though this is a series in which the central mystery is the selling point.

It's not a classic mystery story, but neither is it meant to be (and neither was Twin Peaks, so when people complain it's not a good mystery "like Twin Peaks" I am profoundly puzzled). Instead it is the exploration of a created world. The story is shambling, with odd strings that seem untethered, but so is life. Yes, you could strip out Holly Hunter's brilliant performance as a down-to-earth guru, toss out Robin's mother, toss out all sorts of things, and you could have a short, standard mystery, but why would you want to do that?

Top of the Lake is a fascinating look at a brutal, beautiful world. The beauty comes from the landscape, the brutality from the men, who are remarkably awful. I can see why some people would complain about a show where almost every man is a monster, except for a couple of crazy ones and one passably nice guy. It doesn't bother me, but it's the one criticism I've read that I wouldn't argue against.

The show is not about the mystery but about character. There is enough mystery and plot to keep that part involving, but this is more about Robin's inner struggles and outer determination and passion than anything else.

I wish more of the reviewers here talked about the mini-series that exists instead of the one they wanted.

Season Two review: I had thought Top of the Lake was a mini-series and was surprised there *was* a season two. It is less scenic and even grimmer than the first season. There is more grit and less quirk, but there is still the complexity of character and the dark view of male-female interactions (i.e. A lot of the men are jerks).

It was interesting, but not so much that I'm eager for a third season.

Quality Television

[iejeecee · 8/10 · 18 April 2013]

If I had to describe this mini-series in a few key phrases it would be: beautiful scenery, great acting and a gripping plot.

While the shows synopsis suggests a straightforward detective story, it's focus gradually shifts towards it's main protagonist Robin Griffin (played wonderfully by Elisabeth Moss). As she (and we the viewers) slowly discover more about her past.

The intensity ramps up with each episode and your always left wanting to find out more until it all ends in a satisfying climax.

The series does suffer a bit from male-bashing. It doesn't impact the quality in any way, but don't expect to find any likable men here.

Peter Mullan Owns This Production!

[A_Different_Drummer · 7/10 · 23 January 2014]

Let's start with the good news. This quirky and idiosyncratic mini-series succeeds based on the so-called "engagement factor" that is, after a few hours, you become so enmeshed with the characters and their unpredictable behavior that you find yourself drawn into the production, a little at a time, and, then, like a lobster in a trap, you cannot let go until you see it to the end.The scenery is stunning and Preppers in particular looking for safe spot to survive the coming End of Days should definitely consider New Zealand as a destination of choice. The not-so-good news? Well, the aforementioned "engagement factor" is achieved at the expense of anything resembling a normal plot arc. In fact, this reviewer would opine that Campion and her team used that seeming weakness as a hidden strength, and basically threw the rulebook for a standard police procedural (I am thinking here Broadchurch, which is pitch-perfect and virtually lacking in flaws) out the window or, in this case, into the lake. In fact, the whole production plays more like a horror film than a mystery, with escalating, ongoing, bizarre behaviors from the lead players all leading, of course, to the Big Reveal. This comment on bizarre behaviors include, by the way, Elizabeth Moss whose character "Robin" is so odd and unpredictable that she teeters right on the edge of losing empathy with the audience, which, generally, is not a good thing. Always a delight to see Holly Hunter in front of the camera, one of our all-time faves, and well-reviewed in this database for her work in SAVING GRACE. Bottom line, and this is said without hesitation, Peter Mullan owns this production. It's his. You perhaps should need to email him for permission to watch it! His character is so charismatic, so wonderfully etched, that even when he is not in front of the camera, you are subliminally looking forward to his next 'on screen'. (Very old debate among cinephiles as to which "accent" makes for the best villains? Lately the nod has been going to the South African because it delivers bad news is a very impersonal polite, clipped, monotone. However, Mullan's performance here reminds me that I have always found Scottish street Brogue - not the Mel Gibson aristocratic stuff -- creepiest. Imagine your murderer telling you off just seconds before he actually does the deed -- AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE JUST SAID!? There is one scene in particular where, to make a point to a roomful of thugs who look like, on a whim, they could kill your whole family and then go out for pizza, he rummages around for a china cup that was the favorite of his long-dead mother. I won't offer a spoiler, but the scene is unforgettable).

Excellent offering

[gs20 · 10/10 · 8 April 2013]

This is clearly a wonderful piece of work with very precise character development that is lacking in many current productions that have a lot more money to work with. There is a boatload of really skilled actors, a great writer/director, a story with motives slowly and carefully revealed and a beautiful location. As well it is a clever detective story. What more could you want. All the characters seem like real people in that they have all suffered or struggled in some way and are quite imperfect and have all wound in the same place. Really worth a look if you like good stories by professionals who get to tell the story the way they want.

Fantastic show

[katalist420 · 10/10 · 30 March 2013]

What a fantastic show this is so far! The acting is top notch, the atmosphere is spot on, the cinematography is breathtaking and its just really well done overall.

While I watched the first 3 episodes I kept saying "Wow, what a wonderful surprise this is!" and "This reminds me of Twin Peaks a bit".

I was not expecting much here, but I saw a handful of new shows had started, all of them sucked but this one is top notch. If you like shows with good acting, atmosphere and cinematography give it a try. Can't wait to get it on DVD one day! There really is nothing wrong with this show, very rare that I say that but this is the best new show since the other year when Homeland and BOSS started up.

9.5/10 so far and I cannot wait to see more episodes!

There's a considerable difference in quality between season 1 and 2.

[sanjin_9632 · 6/10 · 29 July 2017]

Season 1 was actually pretty good. Could've been shorter by at least one episode. Elizabeth Moss is quite good in it. The ending was a little bit strange. The series seemed unreal at times. Too many eccentric people floating around in the New Zealand bubble. The reveal at the end was kind of predictable. I guessed right by the third episode, but I couldn't figure out how it all came together. As good as most whodunit stories, but not nearly as good as the first season of Broadchurch, if you need something to compare it to. Mostly kept alive by the actors and the scenery. 6.6/10

Season 2 is definitely a step down. Maybe even a couple of steps. Mostly because of the insane over the top characters, especially Alexander *Puss*. As in season one, the male characters are flawed, weak, evil etc. as if Ms. Campion is trying to show her repulsion with the opposite sex. The only thing I really liked about the 2nd season was the interaction between Moss' character and the daughter she'd given up for adoption years ago played by Alice Englert (Campion's daughter in real life). 5.4/10

All in all, a mostly average series with slightly better than average performances by the actors. 6.0/10

Very interesting show

[alantas · 10/10 · 30 April 2019]

This is probably one of my favorite shows and I uphold my 10 stars rating after watching the second season. Top of the lake is a slow burner, with unique characters that are very flawed and human. If you let it, it can get under your skin and leaves you wondering about the heavy issues, that it dares to deal with. For example, the second season's main theme is motherhood, abuse in relationship and exploitation of a marginal group of people (sex workers). I think you wouldn't expect the ending which is a quite unique twist, but I won't say more. This show is also quite good at playing with your expectations and turning them upside down, which is the hallmark of good storytelling. The female characters are quite prominent and well written, without being obnoxious feminist champions. They feel real and very relatable. The antagonist is also very good, I was worried, that the new antihero will be only a pale shadow compared to Peter Mullan, but oh boy, was I wrong! I can only recommend Top of the Lake, it's not your typical good guys vs bad guys show. It's about people who collide with each other, have interesting story arcs and face relatable problems under unusual circumstances. Don't listen to people who watch half an episode and come here to write a "review".

Hidden Agents

[tedg · 11 September 2017]

Justice

This masterly series has several notable qualities. Most striking are the cinematic (meaning the camera-centric) anchors for the storytelling. But the most commented upon by others is the exploration of motherhood, supported by accomplished actresses doing their best work.

I'll comment instead on the portrayals of the symmetric lives of the male characters. Everything I have seen of Campion's work is driven by external pulls and the men do this work here. The world of the women here is sharp, effective, overflowing with energy because of the embodied world in which they live and the men embody the pulls in their worlds.

We have five primary men here. The most abstract is the young man who is a reclusive gamer, living with his mother. Though he hangs with a group of sexually weak braggarts who gather to talk about their paid encounters, he is different. By the end of the series, we know he is in love with an Asian prostitute who is (we presume) forced to be a surrogate.

He wants to marry her, possibly thinking she has his child; she takes her life because of some turmoil. We never learn exactly what forces have torn her, in fact we never see her at all. But this string — this boy — pulled taut is what moves everything into view. We only know of her life through him, living his life as a game. Brilliant; great talent in storytelling by omission.

His doppleganger is the adopted father, superficially calm but who follows a similar path with no agency. The presented contrast between these two men (crazy vs sedate) hides Campion's intent I think to convey the common tragic destiny of being male. Dissipative.

The most conventional character is the pathologist, drawn along the lines of the Shakespearean fool — the only one who is stable. He is assigned to examine the dead more or less the way we are as viewers. He alone can interact with our main character as an unhaunted being. (His complement is the predator from the previous story.)

We have the main male lead, Puss, extravagantly acted but among the men we see, the most scrutable. The most visible and the least interesting. Not worth examining by design.

The one that amazed me was the police chief. Though this is a fourth generation detective story, it is a detective story nonetheless. So by the end we need someone who sees, who reasons and who embodies the rules.

In every other film with police, this boss role is either a blunt dummy who can't see the truth, or a kind mentor working to protect his (always his) protégé. In this story, he is the only loser to the wheel of fortune whose mechanics he also has to explain. He loses family, lover, child and most likely his job. Everyone else advances in some way.

Mixed feelings

[donita51 · 6/10 · 5 August 2013]

I really wanted to like this mini-series, having read rave reviews about it. I started watching, was instantly captivated by the breathtaking scenery, rushed to bone up on New Zealand in Wikipedia, found it is considered one of the most desirable places to live in the world, sat down again, expecting a treat, and then the series hit me square in the face.

It is peopled with some of the least sympathetic, most reprehensible characters seen on TV, characters which would not feel out of place in OZ. The main theme revolves around rape, perhaps incest, but most of all, boorishness.

I doubt if all New Zealanders are similar to those portrayed, but let's say they remind the viewers of the worst examples of Southern Rednecks.

Even the police are portrayed not too sympathetically, manned by biased, mysogenic, mediocre personnel.

As to the subplot dealing with the community of women, I must have missed something the author intended. I fail to see their connection to the main plot, none more so than their leader, who seems actually a parody of gurus everywhere.

Last but not least, I had trouble making out what some of the actors were saying, whether because they were mumbling or because they are of different nationalities trying to affect a Kiwi accent I honestly don't know.

To summarize, the mini-series is not awful and isn't even bad, but it is a far cry from the masterpiece some viewers hold it to be.

Character Development

[kenhalverson57 · 9/10 · 17 April 2013]

Brilliant character development; each character develops along true lines; their development is not hindered or compromised by the plot line. Beautiful plot twists; the obvious happening when unexpected and bolts from the blue when all seems straight forward. As confronting as real life itself. The cinematography has faithfully reflected the essence and ambiance of this special area. In episode 1 I was critical toward the US/Aust/NZ accent and inflection of Elisabeth Moss but then accepted it as part of her (Robyn's) character. Any misgivings (ABC) of her being cast in the role should totally have been cast aside by such a gritty performance. The glassing scene in the pub is cloned reality. Magnificent scenery, great acting, intuitive story telling.

Great story and great acting, except...

[me-78649 · 6/10 · 10 October 2022]

WHO thought it prudent to cast Elizabeth Moss as a Kiwi? She can't even do a consistent accent, and there ain't a trace of Kiwi in her mashup. Her horrid accent attempts were distracting and detracting. I can think of dozens of NZ female actors who would have been perfect. Box office appeal for the US? Garbage. Nicole Kidman could have done that on her own. Were it not for the Yankee girl playing a native NZ cop, I'd have given a higher rating. This is an insult to accents and to dialects!

I concede that anything outside of a middle class English accent is challenging for Americans. So, why try? Michael Banas, Rebecca Gibney, Antonia Prebble, to name a few... How about one of the multitude of even Australian female actors like Anna Torv or Nicole DaSilva? Or SA--Jessica Marais, anyone? Ugh.

Terrific and Haunting

[DinosaurAct86 · 9/10 · 10 July 2013]

Top of the Lake follows you around long after you've finished an episode (or the entire series, for that matter). It operates with a sophisticated sense of naturalism, which probably initially alienated many viewers begging to be bashed over the head with plot details. This is not simply a subtle noir, but a meditation on identity, which provides the necessary ammunition for some powerful performances from Elisabeth Moss, David Wenham, Peter Mullan and Holly Hunter, as well as others.

This is an atmospheric detective story, not an action-packed whodunnit. You will find yourself both disgusted with and moved by humanity as the finale's credits roll.

Interesting, atmospheric, beautifully acted, but doesn't come together

[Laight · 7/10 · 16 May 2022]

Such a strange show, one that gives you another view of New Zealand, not the one we generally see of an idyllic land of happy folk, but the ugly, criminal side where almost no one seems as though they have any decency at all. Not a shred. What holds it together is the acting: The three major male actors are all excellent, and Elizabeth Moss is able to carry off what is a very difficult job, being the center of a story that has almost no center, that veers all over the place, that often makes no sense. Still, it's worth a look just for the atmosphere, the scenery, and the one completely different stroke: instead of each episode ending with a cliffhanger, they all end in an off-beat place, sometimes one that doesn't even invite continued viewing, an odd touch that these shows never do,

China Girl is broken

[tjmack-852-26427 · 2/10 · 3 August 2017]

S2 is a mess.

Storyline is haphazard - you feel very little empathy for the supposed victim at the centre of the story and those around her. There's no suspense or any real cliffhangers Even Robin's story left me feeling meh by the end.

Characters are very roughly and lazily drawn. Either crude stereotypical male chauvinistic numpties at the Police HQ; the wimpy new age man who's so afraid he doesn't react when a woman is physically assaulted or when his daughter hurls abuse in the form of some ridiculously written dialogue at everyone except her supposedly 'scary' bf - who's as scary as the skin on a rice pudding - but then, he is called 'Puss(y)' - he's not the brilliant and riveting Peter Mullan from S1, by any means. David Wenham's Al makes a return in this and he portrays more menace from a wheelchair than he ever does. Nicole Kidman's acting ability and star quality are totally wasted by making her into an embittered, crazy latent middle-aged lesbian, which feels absolutely forced and disingenuous towards the audience.

If you want to see Elisabeth Moss on form go watch S1 of this or The Handmaid's Tale, this isn't her finest.

Worth watching for top villain

[NESS-6 · 8/10 · 29 April 2013]

Come for the chilling performance from Scottish actor Peter Mullan, who is scary as hell, but has some fascinating vulnerabilities. Overall, real nice pacing with this mini-series. It unravels at a pensive pace, with just enough realistic twists to keep it believable. All the action has a a slowed- down feel. Almost dream-like. This series is very much about empowering women, and how men are perverted animals, but sadly, you only need to read the news to see that claim isn't much of a stretch. Hollywood should take note of Mullan and not pass up the chance to cast this guy in another villain role. There's nothing more terrifying than a sociopath Scot who whips himself in penance for some deep Oedipal shame. Give this series a chance, but know that it's slow and methodical. It's an uncomfortable ride with evil.

I got lost

[hotdogmolly09 · 11 July 2013]

I got lost , the first few episodes I got the story about the girl Tui

then the detective chic loses her job becomes an alcoholic and a sex addict and ignores her mother and does not listen to her even on her death bed

she was to busy going for jogs or talking on the phone to show some love for her mother

shes a bitch of a daughter I'm only

on the 6th episode ill finish watching but its not making it enjoyable to watch

ps it does have the most beautiful landscape

I really wanted to like this...

[morrataxco · 6/10 · 9 March 2016]

I was looking forward to seeing this and as I don't live in an English-speaking country, I came to it quite late. It didn't live up to my expectations and I think it fell short of what was trying to be achieved.

(Spoilers coming!) I thought that the ending was somewhat predictable. The villain starts off being pleasant enough - well, compared to the other locals - he seems willing to listen to Robin etc and then starts to turn nasty such as when he humiliated the boy in the police station. "Ah, it must be him as now we are being primed to turn against him!" I thought.

Once Al had taken Robin to the café and the camera lingered on the pictures on the wall of the young people who were or had worked there, "Aha! A paedophile menu in plain sight." The fact that he also conducted meetings there with groups of men who didn't really feature in the story was also a hint. The male journalist he met there kept looking at the young staff. Come on Robin, wake up!

It was also obvious that Robin and Johnno were going to have the same father. I remember thinking, "Why soooo many sex scenes?" Of course, seeing them have sex multiple times would supposedly add to the shock/disgust that the viewer was supposed to feel on discovering that they were related.

I wasn't quick enough to figure out that "no one" did this meant that Tui had been drugged and therefore really didn't know what had happened ,but, surely,the kids would have been in pain or bruised and would have discussed it amongst themselves. It's odd that they all happily went off in Al's car without thinking, "H'mmm, why do I feel groggy and in pain after his day trips?" I'm not saying they would come to the conclusion, but they'd think something was not right.

To me, the sick mum and hippy ladies were quite superfluous elements to the story. Of course, losing her parent would make Robin off her game, or crack up and delay the "revelation" by an episode, however, I'm not sure what the women added to the story. It seemed like a missed opportunity. Interesting idea but not really developed enough.

I found the Matt character annoying. Whipping himself by his mother's grave? He was scary but those scenes were just weird and not interesting or revelatory. So he has mummy issues? OK, then.

The scenery was, however, stunning. Especially in the forest when Robin and Johnno were having sex (again!) - it looked like a wonderland. That is what I enjoyed the most.

I can't imagine that season 2 is needed, especially if the action takes place elsewhere and the lake area doesn't feature. It would just be a formulaic police drama.

Outstanding!

[rschafer1067 · 10/10 · 4 August 2013]

I am drawn to movies and TV shows that get the Golden Globe, Oscar, and Emmy nominations. So when TOTL received 8 Emmy nominations, I wanted to see it. (I had never watched Sundance channel before...but will now!).

I was not disappointed with this mini-series. In fact, I loved it! I'm perplexed by the many negative reviews here, but to each his or her own. I'm wondering if most of the dislikes came from males as there were a lot of negative male stereotypes in this series. Having said that, I am male and I enjoyed TOTL very much.

I thought the acting and cinematography were amazing. What a beautiful country New Zealand appears to be! Having been a Mad Men fan from the beginning, I am also a huge Elisabeth Moss fan. She is superb here and I found myself constantly comparing her to Jodie Foster in Silence Of The Lambs (not a bad comparison!). Peter Mullan and David Wenham were also incredible and both gave chilling, creepy performances! Several people here said that the plot was predictable and slow. I have to disagree. Yes, the viewer could guess about some of the plot developments early on but until all is revealed, you are not sure what will happen or how each character is involved...and I loved that! The action is not fast paced but that allows each development (and there are many shocking ones!) to sink in. The viewer really does become part of this world.

I do understand the comments regarding Holly Hunter's character GJ and her compound. Although she and her female "campers" were not central to the plot, they did provide a support system for Tui and Robin throughout the series.

There were a couple of jaw-dropping moments that I cannot imagine anyone predicting. I do wish there was a little more resolution at the end (e.g., actual paternity of Robin), but I will assume that everything revealed about the three paternities is actually correct. I also wanted to know what happened to April Stevens. Was she going to turn Al and the boys in or was she pregnant and killed off by the group? However, in the end, I was satisfied and it truly was an outstanding mini-series.

I am glad I am not deciding who will win the Best Actress in a Mini-Series Emmy because I am torn between Moss, Jessica Lange in American Horror Story: Asylum, and Laura Linney in The Big C: Hereafter. It would be nice to see Moss win a richly-deserved Emmy for TOTL or Mad Men!

A 7 for brilliant acting, and wonderful scenery. 0 for plot closure and surprise

[juliacher1987 · 7/10 · 31 August 2013]

The only reason why I decided to write this review is because I was disappointed that I was not warned before seeing this show.

Don't get me wrong, the show had an amazing cast, especially Elisabeth Moss and Peter Mullan who kind of made this show the best it can be. Plus, the scenery is unbelievable. I started looking for flights to NZ after watching.

However, to all of those who usually get things right away, and notice details, you are about to be disappointed, because you will know from the get go (in episodes 1-3) what's about to happen. that was the thing that by the end, made me sad, because I knew all along, and they didn't hide it very well (too obvious in my opinion).

As a viewer, aren't you supposed to be surprised (watching a detective show!)? well, I wasn't. For all of you who are pretty good with intuition, don't watch this thinking you will have an ending that will blow your mind, because you won't. You can still enjoy the acting and the amazing footage.

I liked Season 2 also!

[niseynisey · 8/10 · 28 July 2020]

I don't know what some of the reviewers were complaining about. Season 2 was just as good as season 1! I enjoyed the mystery surrounding these cases and how they keep personally affecting Robin. Well done!

Very Disappointed!

[aurasbob · 6/10 · 1 May 2021]

Story was very inconsistent, choppy & had nothing to hold your interest. Acting was mediocre as well. Don't waste your time, I did.

Top of the Lake is New Zealand

[toddg33 · 10/10 · 5 June 2013]

Top of the Lake is a unique and captivating mini-series that offers great writing, acting and direction, and a fantastic setting. At first glance a crime drama, it defies genre conventions, but the tip of the hat to the horror genre in the opening sequence and music is not to be ignored.

Make no mistake; Top of the Lake is about New Zealand. Any local will tell you that New Zealand is Paradise; Top of the Lake tells us about the dark side of that paradise. Yes, there is an Appalachian (for example) version of this story – but this is a distinctly New Zealand story.

Top of the Lake is a portrayal of New Zealand culture and its problems as few other films or series have done. "Once Were Warriors" is a notable exception, and it is no coincidence that that film also deals with issues of misogyny, violence, rape, teen suicide, child abuse and child molestation.

There is a lot of feminism in Top of the Lake, but it is New Zealand culture that is indicted, and men and women are both guilty. There are many victims in Top of the Lake, but there are few innocents. Women seem to limit their sins to denying, defending and otherwise enabling the behavior of men, and the dark side of the culture in general, but Top of the Lake wants us to question whether they are any less guilty. We probably see this most clearly in Campion's main character Robin Griffin, played by Elizabeth Moss.

There are many good reasons to like Robin, and to identify with her. But the viewer suspects Al Parker (David Wenham) early on, and grows uncomfortable as Robin fails to follow up on some fairly clear warning signs, especially when she blacks out and wakes up in his bed and clothes, but fails to have a rape kit done, or a blood test, or to do anything more than give Al a light questioning. She has suspicions, but she fails to follow through on them. It begins to resemble the denial and willful blindness that is so much a part of the local culture, and a strong theme of the series.

Robin continues to get drunk in bars filled with overtly misogynist men, including one who actually raped her as a teenager. She rekindles an old relationship with an old flame, Johnno (Thomas M. Wright) in a no-means-yes moment in a pub toilet. This old flame had abandoned her at a high school dance just before she was raped by four drunk local men. He comes clean about being there, but refuses to deny planning it with them ahead of time. She continues seeing him.

When the local drug lord, Matt Mitchum (Peter Mullan), the most obvious villain of the series, reveals to her that he is her father, and that her lover is therefore her half-brother, we feel her horror as she realizes that many of the local demons are inside of her as well, and have been all along (Al has DNA testing done, and reports that Johnno is not Matt's son. However he also reports that Tui's baby is Matt's, almost certainly a lie. We never know for sure).

As ugly as this all might sound, I continue to have a lot of sympathy and patience for Robin, as do most viewers I think. Credit this to the acting of Elizabeth Moss, but of course Campion knows that it is important that the audience care about even such a deeply flawed character.

Campion may have less patience for Robin than we do. GJ, the reluctant "guru" of Paradise, played by Holly Hunter, is inspired by the late Indian philosopher U.G. Krishnamurti, a friend of Campion's. GJ has no more patience for Robin than for any of the "crazy bitches" living at Paradise. Robin is apparently the "crazy bitch" that broke the camel's back, sending GJ off to Reykjavik, about as far from New Zealand as a person can get.

I understand all the reviews..all correct

[willzkom-10069 · 6/10 · 18 May 2017]

I'm at episode 3 and felt compelled to find reviews on the internet about this show. At this point I have been through the full range of emotions that I see in all the reviews. I think I can explain..

The only reason I watched this is because I liked the Piano and a friend of mine said it wasn't as bad as what 'In the cut' looked.. I knew going into this that Campion is an out-and-out feminist.

To a Kiwi, the acting was awful. The accents were hard to listen to and detracted from the story at times. To a foreigner, these would seem like charming quirks.

This movie is The Killing meets Twin Peaks while smoking on a Mad Men pipe. The story follows along the lines of Twin Peaks in that the young girl goes missing, and there is a lot of WWS (Weird For Weird's sake) going on. On the Killing, Mireille Enos plays a strong detective who herself had been abused just like the young girl she is searching for. Made Men was outright patriarchal and chauvinistic, which is what Campion mirrors in her male characters.

I think Campion tried to do too much in this show. She copied 3 shows that appealed to her and hoped the uniqueness of the location would add something (which it obviously did for people outside of NZ). The passiveness of many of the characters was, I think, the element that lost you. Dave Wenham's character was so apathetic, it seemed everybody knew Bob's murderer was Matt, but nobody cared, not even the chief of police.

It is hard to connect with the characters, particularly for males because the males were so extremely patriarchal. But there were so many metaphors for a female's perspective in a male-dominated world. Feminists would probably be the most gratified by this show.

People who don't know Kiwis very well might love the oddities-GJ and other weird elements were intentionally weird and pointless. People who watched to get closure on a mystery will be disappointed. Most Kiwis hate it I think because it makes us look stupid, and seems far from Kiwi. But I think the show turned out how someone wanted it-Garth Davis maybe?

The show certainly will have a cult following for those love the exotic. But for pure film lovers who appreciate realism and subtleties in character development need not look here. By the way did anyone get the irony of GJ's name? (GJ Gardner homes)-living in container homes...

If not for Elizabeth Moss - not that worth watching

[phd_travel · 4/10 · 3 August 2015]

In a lake side town in New Zealand a 12 year old girl is discovered to be pregnant and detective played by Elizabeth Moss looks into the case. A bizarre collection of scum of the earth big shot Matt the Scottsman and his kids, a collection of women on a retreat including a strangely unnecessary Holly Hunter, and some other strange folk intertwine as the investigation unfolds.

On the plus side, it's quite a transporting experience, one can get a good sense of the cold sparsely populated area with it's unique and beautiful landscape. Elizabeth Moss acts well with a faint New Zealand accent. Lucky she doesn't exaggerate or it would be hard to take in with the rest of the rather difficult to understand accents. Feel like you need subtitles sometimes.

The series is too self indulgently long. I know they wanted to go into the characters but there isn't a lot of development and they are pretty black and white. The nudity and fornication is kind of gross and doesn't advance the story. Could have been trimmed by at least a quarter in length. Most of the time it feels irritating and frustrating and you wish things would move on. The strange story makes the people seem rather uncivilized except they have cell phones and modern cars.

I give it 4/10 because in the end you do get an answer which is more or less satisfactory and moderately clever it doesn't leave you hanging. There are some unanswered questions like why this and that happened but in the end you don't really care. If it wasn't for Elizabeth Moss it would not have been worth watching.

Better than "The Killing"

[marcusliou5 · 9/10 · 4 May 2013]

I do not want to include any spoilers in this review, well because I want you to enjoy this miniseries as much as possible. Top of the Lake tells the story of a young girl named Tui and a detective named Robin. That's all I'm going to you. The best part of this miniseries is its slowness. Most shows bore when they get slow, but this show draws you in and makes you appreciate its slow pace. For god sakes, it took "The Killing" two seasons to tell me who killed the girl. That is definitely too slow, and the girl's family in that show was very boring. This is so unlike this series. You cannot group these two together. It is a very unique insight into humans and our reasonings. With many twists and turns, I highly recommend this show. I have a feeling that this show will have many nominations this year at the Emmys. Tip: The show is available on Netflix, and may be reairing on the Sundance Channel in America or BBC in the UK.