Top of the Lake (2013)
TV show · 2013 · Crime, Drama, Mystery · English
Curator score: 5.8/10 (40.1K ratings)
Tagline: No ordinary place. No ordinary crime.
A woman haunted by her past, Detective Robin Griffin, investigates complex and unsettling cases.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 5.8/10
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
- Metacritic: 81
- TMDB: 7.1/10
Production: Screen Australia, See-Saw Films, Escapade Pictures, BBC, UKTV, Sundance Channel
Cast: Elisabeth Moss, David Dencik, Nicole Kidman, Gwendoline Christie, Alice Englert, Linda Ngo, Jacqueline Joe, Jenny Wu, Jay Ryan
Where to watch: Hulu
Curator Review
Verdict: A moody, often haunting crime drama with a strong sense of place, unusual casework, and an excellent central performance. It is more atmospheric and psychologically layered than procedural, and the second season is a worthwhile but less essential continuation.
Best for: Viewers who like slow-burn detective stories; Fans of prestige miniseries with a bleak, lyrical tone; People drawn to female-led crime dramas with emotional depth; Viewers who appreciate unsettling mystery and strong atmosphere
Skip if: You want a fast, case-of-the-week procedural; You prefer tidy plotting and clear answers; You dislike bleak, emotionally heavy storytelling; You need consistent momentum across every season
Overview: Top of the Lake is a striking crime drama that feels as much like a psychological reckoning as an investigation. Jane Campion brings a distinctive, almost mythic sensibility to the material, and Elisabeth Moss gives Robin Griffin a bruised, compelling center. The first season is the essential one: immersive, eerie, and genuinely memorable in its sense of place and dread.
Worth noting: This is not a breezy watch. The storytelling is deliberately paced, sometimes elliptical, and more interested in trauma, power, and damaged communities than in procedural mechanics. That approach gives the series its identity, even when it becomes frustrating or opaque.
Bottom line: The second season, Top of the Lake: China Girl, remains strong enough to recommend, but it is a step down from the first in impact and focus. Overall, though, this is a worthwhile prestige mystery for viewers who want atmosphere, character complexity, and a crime story that lingers after the credits.
Recommended similar titles:
- Mare of Easttown (2021 · Curator 9.3/10 (221.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
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- The Night Of (2016 · Curator 9.0/10 (194.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Pure Flix, Max)
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- True Detective (2014 · Curator 9.3/10 (755.3K ratings) · Where to watch: TNT, Max)
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- Sharp Objects (2018 · Curator 8.0/10 (138.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
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Topics: slow burn, prestige drama, neo-noir, atmospheric, bleak, psychological, crime mystery, female-led, limited series, dark tone
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/tv-show/top-of-the-lake/46638
Top of the Lake (2013)
TV show · 2013 · Crime, Drama, Mystery · English
Curator score: 5.8/10 (40.1K ratings)
No ordinary place. No ordinary crime.
Overview A woman haunted by her past, Detective Robin Griffin, investigates complex and unsettling cases.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.8/10
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Metacritic: 81
TMDB: 7.1/10
Production Screen Australia, See-Saw Films, Escapade Pictures, BBC, UKTV, Sundance Channel
Cast Elisabeth Moss, David Dencik, Nicole Kidman, Gwendoline Christie, Alice Englert, Linda Ngo, Jacqueline Joe, Jenny Wu, Jay Ryan
Curator Review
Verdict
A moody, often haunting crime drama with a strong sense of place, unusual casework, and an excellent central performance. It is more atmospheric and psychologically layered than procedural, and the second season is a worthwhile but less essential continuation.
Best for
Viewers who like slow-burn detective stories
Fans of prestige miniseries with a bleak, lyrical tone
People drawn to female-led crime dramas with emotional depth
Viewers who appreciate unsettling mystery and strong atmosphere
Skip if
You want a fast, case-of-the-week procedural
You prefer tidy plotting and clear answers
You dislike bleak, emotionally heavy storytelling
You need consistent momentum across every season
Overview
Top of the Lake is a striking crime drama that feels as much like a psychological reckoning as an investigation. Jane Campion brings a distinctive, almost mythic sensibility to the material, and Elisabeth Moss gives Robin Griffin a bruised, compelling center. The first season is the essential one: immersive, eerie, and genuinely memorable in its sense of place and dread.
Worth noting
This is not a breezy watch. The storytelling is deliberately paced, sometimes elliptical, and more interested in trauma, power, and damaged communities than in procedural mechanics. That approach gives the series its identity, even when it becomes frustrating or opaque.
Bottom line
The second season, Top of the Lake: China Girl, remains strong enough to recommend, but it is a step down from the first in impact and focus. Overall, though, this is a worthwhile prestige mystery for viewers who want atmosphere, character complexity, and a crime story that lingers after the credits.
Recommended similar titles
2021 · Curator 9.3/10 (221.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A grounded, female-led murder mystery that balances procedural tension with grief, community pressure, and a lived-in setting.
2016 · Curator 9.0/10 (194.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Pure Flix, Max
A grim, absorbing prestige crime story that emphasizes character psychology, institutional pressure, and moral unease.
2014 · Curator 9.3/10 (755.3K ratings) · Where to watch: TNT, Max
For viewers who respond to noir atmosphere, philosophical dread, and investigations that spiral into something darker and stranger.
2018 · Curator 8.0/10 (138.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A close cousin in tone: Southern-gothic unease, buried trauma, and a female lead confronting a damaged community.
2019 · Curator 8.8/10 (137K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
A serious, empathetic crime drama centered on trauma, investigation, and the difficult work of being believed.
1997 · Curator 8.2/10 (44.8K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Acorn TV, Spectrum On Demand, Acorn TV Apple TV, Pluto TV, Plex, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads, Xumo Play, Tubi TV
Not tonally similar, but for viewers who want a long-running British mystery format with village secrets and investigation structure.
2014 · Curator 7.1/10 (32.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Starz, Philo, Spectrum On Demand
A tense, emotionally devastating mystery series that treats investigation as a long trauma rather than a puzzle.
2016 · Curator 6.9/10 (137.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A sleek prestige thriller with strong performances, international scope, and a polished, bingeable pace.
2017 · Curator 8.3/10 (152.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
An anthology of psychologically driven investigations that leans into trauma, secrets, and character-first mystery.
Topics
slow burn, prestige drama, neo-noir, atmospheric, bleak, psychological, crime mystery, female-led, limited series, dark tone
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