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Season 1 – Top of the Lake

2013 Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller List
95% Tomatometer 44 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Set in a remote mountain town in New Zealand, "Top of the Lake" centers on the disappearance of 12-year-old Tui, who is five months pregnant. She is last seen standing chest deep in a freezing lake, and now all attention is focused on inexperienced detective Robin Griffin, who leads the investigation in the same town where she endured traumatic events years earlier. Not only must she find Tui, but Robin also embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Her limits are tested amid clashes with Matt, the missing girl's father and local drug lord, and GJ, a guru at a local women's camp.
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Top of the Lake — Season 1

Top of the Lake — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

Absorbing and deeply atmospheric, Top of the Lake takes edgy, disturbing content and delivers powerful performances with lasting impressions.

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Critics Reviews

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Allison Keene Collider With a great cast and bizarre characters set against a dramatic New Zealand backdrop, the miniseries is one that will stick with you, for better or worse, for a long time. Sep 9, 2020 Full Review Doreen St. Felix New Yorker Tropes of the puzzle-box detective story are built and undone in Jane Campion's Top of the Lake, a moody, impressionistic portrait of a strange New Zealand town... May 9, 2020 Full Review Lauren Carroll Harris Guardian Shot deep in the haunting mountains of New Zealand, Top of the Lake is a boundary-pushing and sensitive reverie of hope set against women and children's trauma. Jul 30, 2019 Full Review Justine Smith Vague Visages Campion and Davis expertly do not render Mitchum as a monster but unveil him as sexually alluring, charismatic and insecure. Jun 6, 2024 Full Review Elisa Guimarães Collider Top of the Lake is slow-paced, but the mystery is intense... Feb 2, 2024 Full Review Kari Croop Common Sense Media There's artful stillness and palpable sadness is almost every frame, and the collective performances of Moss, Mullan, and newcomer Joe push it firmly into must-see territory. Rated: 4/5 May 3, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Don M Characters were not well developed combined with a snail like plot. Finished it through but not very good. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/19/24 Full Review lawrenceb56 Beautifully shot and some interesting acting, but while I started out really engrossed, I became distracted and bored around episode five and had to bail. It seemed as if every semi interesting situation was rushed through in order to get back to a bathtub scene or a stripping down of the two love interests. I didn't find enough interesting chemistry between these two characters (weak writing in that regard-more than weak acting) to justify how many times the story rushed back to another uncomfortable love scene. This story doesn't need to be told in long, drawn out and boring (some) episodes. I'm a big Jane Campion fan and The Power of the Dog is one of my favorite films of the last few years. But this one too quickly became tiresome. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/30/23 Full Review Gareth v A disturbing, mysterious crime thriller that is well written, directed and acted. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/24/23 Full Review ann c Although the plot is simplistic there are enough interesting characters to keep me watching ... most of the time. I used the fast forward a fair amount to get to the interesting parts, because it really dragged. Though not a great tourism ad for NZ, most of the characters were over-sexed, chauvinistic, dirt-bags or people in desperate situations. So if you're planning your ultimate NZ vacay, you might want to skip this one. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review B C This show is good. Recommend Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/06/22 Full Review william f Quirky, edgy, eccentric -- all the things critics say are true. But it's set in a beautiful New Zealand mountain setting, with a campsite for women needing a retreat called Paradise. The baddy Matt is perhaps a bit too nasty but he's suffering from some indeterminate illness so that might explain it. Some of the scripting is a bit breathless I found: no sooner had one drama happened than the next followed. GJ's a good character - she advises the women at the campsite with ruthless straight talking, but quite impressive! Some lack of realism with Tui's baby: I guess we can forgive that. Maybe a bit clichéed that this backwater community is so corrupt and crime-ridden: murder, child abuse, drug manufacture, rape, you name it... Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Top of the Lake — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Mar 18, 2013 Episode 1 A detective investigates the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old in a remote region of New Zealand. Details Episode 2 Aired Mar 18, 2013 Episode 2 The search for Tui grows more intense as fears escalate about her survival; Robin pursues an accused pedophile. Details Episode 3 Aired Mar 25, 2013 The Edge of the Universe A suspect is found dead, the victim of what appears to be suicide; the mysteries continue to pile up. Details Episode 4 Aired Apr 1, 2013 Episode 4 A violent incident raises questions about Robin's future with the local police; secrets in Laketop bubble to the surface. Details Episode 5 Aired Apr 8, 2013 The Dark Creator Robin's mother warns her about dating Johnno but doesn't explain why; Robin and Johnno uncover crucial evidence. Details Episode 6 Aired Apr 15, 2013 Episode 6 Tui's friends offer clues to her whereabouts; tragedy strikes; the town begins to turn against Matt. Details Episode 7 Aired Apr 15, 2013 Episode 7 Tui's baby is due, yet she remains missing; Matt reveals a secret that impacts Robin's relationship with Johnno. Details
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Season Info

Director
Jane Campion, Garth Davis
Executive Producer
Emile Sherman, Iain Canning
Screenwriter
Jane Campion, Gerard Lee
Network
SundanceTV
Rating
TV-MA (S|V|L)
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date
Mar 18, 2013