User reviews

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.

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.

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.

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!

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".

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

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'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...

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!

We all know by now that Elisabeth Moss is a great actress, and I think that showed in season 1 more than eve in The Handmaid's Tale. Her disfunctional relationships cast a pall over her whole life, and her unerring sense of justice doesn't help her cope with the greyer areas of small town politics. By the end you are physically relieved that she seemed to find some sort of happiness.

Roll on season 2. What a difference. After everything goes wrong in New Zealand she returns to her job in Sydney, investigating the death of a Thai prostitute washed up on a beach. The tone is much darker, but the overriding sense I took from it is that every man in this season is majorly flawed, with next to no redeeming features. Her male colleagues are all lecherous, incompetent, lazy, misogynistic, or a mixture of all of the above. Those not police are pimps, incels, or cuckolds. A father who stands by while his troubled teenage daughter dates a forty-something pimp and his wife lives part time with her lesbian lover. A gang of incel students who sit around discussing their favourite prostitutes. On the whole I found it hard to see past the manhate to enjoy the end of the season.

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 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!

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.

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.