et in 1960s’ Baltimore, with Natalie Portman at its helm, Lady in the Lake looks like a promising watch at first but fails to deliver in the end. The substance that drives thrillers, the problem that one cannot seem to untangle, is missing. This means that there is no real hook beyond the fleeting promise of one.

The set design is immaculate, the music delightful, costume and make-up top notch, such that the show succeeds in transporting viewers to another time and place. This succinct transportation is perhaps all that it does right.

The story begins with tension burning from the get-go. The central character, Cleo, played by Moses Ingram, is already dead and speaking from beyond. She seems to be addressing Maddie Schwartz, played by Natalie Portman.

The connection between Cleo and Maddie is the question the viewers are directed to focus on. Cleo sounds accusatory in her tone, almost sarcastic. Maddie is a simple distraught housewife trying to deal with a misogynistic society of which her son and husband are poster boys. Given the circumstances, Maddie’s frantic demeanour makes sense. Intermittently, however, Maddie sees flashbacks of her romantic past.

Maddie isn’t who she seems to be. That is the angle. That angle, however, despite its drawn-out build up, isn’t hard to believe. It isn’t even hard to blame Maddie as she blatantly moves to a black neighbourhood without regard for the implications it has for the natives.

The message is, Maddie will stop at nothing to reclaim her dream of becoming a journalist. Triggered by the murder of her high school love interest’s daughter, Maddie uses that as an opportunity. Even at the start, it is easy to assume that is what she is going to doe.

What follows is a drag. Short sequences from Maddie’s past reveal how she jeopardised her life for her dream, as a teen, with little success but will do so all over again expecting different results.

Had the show been three episodes long, perhaps it would have been tighter and more gripping. At seven episodes it is insufferable; even stellar performances by the leads as well as supporting actors such as David Corenswet, Dylan Arnold and Yolanda Noel cannot redeem it.

The show gets two stars, five being the highest. Those, it bags for its set design, music and editing which fall short of being its saving grace. The direction and story are mediocre at best. It might still be hard for acting fans and fans of period pieces to resist.

The author writes on culture and identity. He can be reached at uneeb.nas@gmail.com