If You Like ‘Mare of Easttown,’ Watch This Apple TV+ True Crime Thriller

Mare of Easttown came out on HBO in 2021, but it is still being lauded as one of the best limited series in recent years. It won four Emmys (and was nominated for a total of 16), including awards for Kate Winslet and Julianne Nicholson. It is these two actors’ authentic depictions (along with stellar performances from Evan Peters and Jean Smart) that helped create an intense and realistic portrayal of a town and a family torn apart by the recent murder of a young woman in a suburb of Philadelphia. The series is a thrilling mystery, yet also a frank and honest look at how grief and trauma can have a ripple effect on entire communities. The show parallels another crime drama that debuted on Apple TV+ a few weeks ago.

Lady in the Lake is similar to Mare of Easttown in that both center around a young female who has been found murdered (although Lady in the Lakeis loosely based on real-life events). Each of these deaths sparks a fevered investigation and provides a catalyst for the main characters to reevaluate their lives. Both shows also lean heavily on impressive cinematography and striking imagery to help convey the story of individuals who have been heavily impacted by crime and violence. Although Lady in the Lake often uses dream sequences and symbolism to express the journeys of the characters, both dramas have the same dark, yet engrossing themes that make for an exciting and fulfilling viewing experience.

Lady in the Lake

In 1960s Baltimore, an unsolved murder drives a housewife to reinvent herself as an investigative journalist. Her path crosses with a dedicated mother navigating the political landscape of Black Baltimore, leading to a collision course that unearths deep-seated secrets and puts both their lives in jeopardy.

Release Date

July 19, 2024

Cast

Natalie Portman , Moses Ingram , Y’lan Noel , Mikey Madison , Brett Gelman , Noah Jupe

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

1

Cinematographer

Lachlan Milne

Distributor

Apple TV+

Producer

Julie Gardner, Nathan Ross

Production Company

Crazyrose, Bad Wolf America, Zusa, MountainA, Endeavor Content

Writers

Laura Lippman

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Tragic Acts of Violence Are the Focus of ‘Lady in the Lake’

Like Mare of Easttown, the action of Lady in the Lake (which was based on a bestselling novel) picks up with the disappearance and murder of a young girl. The killing, in 1960s Baltimore, has a major effect on Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman), who sees the murder as a way to escape her own predictable and stifled life. She decides to leave her husband and teenage son and strike out on her own, earning a position at a local newspaper where she is determined to report on the case. But there is another murder that Maddie becomes obsessed with: that of Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), a young Black woman whose body is found at the top of a fountain in the lake (thus earning her the nickname of ‘Lady in the Lake.’) These two unrelated acts of violence serve as a common thread throughout the series. How the stories of the two victims are told (and the different responses their deaths receive) is a representation of racism and misogyny in society. And it is the fallout from these crimes that creates a sustainable tension for the entire series.

Aside from the painful effects of violence, one of the most heart-wrenching themes of both Mare of Easttown and Lady in the Lake is the challenges of motherhood. Mare is constantly feeling like she’s not living up to her own standards of what a ‘good’ mother should be. The main characters in Lady in the Lake also struggle with these same high expectations. Maddie feels she’s failing her son by not reaching her own potential, but now that she’s living away from him, his teenage scorn for her is enormous. Cleo works endlessly to provide a better life for her two sons but constantly feels like her efforts are in vain. She’s enmeshed in the criminal underworld because that’s the only place she can get work, and because of her finances (and the color of her skin), she’s unable to provide the best medical care for her younger son (who has sickle cell disease). Both mothers love their children immensely, but can’t seem to get past the obstacles that the world keeps placing in front of them. It is agonizing to watch as these women (Mare included) try to raise their children when the odds are always against them, and when they can’t protect them from the acts of violence that are playing out in their communities.

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‘Lady in the Lake’ Features an Incredible Cast

Just like Winslet and Nicholson, Lady in the Lake showcases two extremely talented actors in the lead roles. Portman, an Oscar winner for Black Swan, is known for playing intense and determined characters. As Maddie, she conveys a wild passion that often leads to her making poor choices and putting herself in danger. She goes to visit a suspected murderer in jail and starts up an affair with a Black police officer, but her ambition and her desire to go after what she wants often blind her to the precariousness of her situation. She’s also fiercely committed to carving out a path for herself (which wasn’t always the norm for women in that time period), and Portman portrays this effectively with a steely focus and drive.

Cleo serves as Maddie’s foil; she has the same perseverance that Maddie does, but life is much harsher towards her, and she can never seem to catch a break the way that Maddie does (due to her whiteness and her wealth). Ingram (an Emmy nominee for The Queen’s Gambit) depicts Cleo with tragic vulnerability and hopelessness; as hard as Cleo fights for her and her sons’ future, it’s like she already seems to know that her heartbreaking fate is sealed. The series opens up with Cleo’s death, so there’s no doubt that an act of violence will result in Cleo’s light being snuffed out.

But it’s not just Portman and Ingram that shine in Lady in the Lake. The series also features several strong supporting characters that bring the historical setting of the 1960s to life. Maddie’s boyfriend, Ferdie, is played by Y’lan Noel, another character who seems destined for tragedy, even as he tries his best to follow his heart. Noel portrays him with a softness, yet also a quiet strength, which adds heightened emotions to Maddie’s interactions with him. Another stand-out is Josiah Cross, who plays Reggie Robinson, a right-hand man to Cleo’s boss, Shell Gordon (Wood Harris). Reggie is directly tied to Cleo’s death, so the flashback scenes with him contain an eerie foreshadowing of what his character will end up doing. Just like Mare of Easttown, the entire supporting cast works to create a more authentic and realistic world for these characters to exist in.

There is a lot to expect from future episodes of Lady in the Lake (there are still three more episodes left to air), but the series has already proven that it is a fascinating drama with complex characters. Although it has been billed as a limited series, there is always a chance that future episodes are in store. In fact, it was recently announced that a second season of Mare of Easttown could be in the works, even though it was initially conceived as a limited series. As impressive as both of these series are, hopefully, there will be many more episodes of each drama to dig into going forward.

New episodes of Lady in the Lake are available to stream every Friday on Apple TV+ in the U.S.

Watch on Apple TV+