--- title: "Top of the Lake: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/top-of-the-lake/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/top-of-the-lake" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Top of the Lake (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 7 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics are firmly behind Top of the Lake. The reviews describe a slow, atmospheric crime story set in an isolated New Zealand community, and nearly all of them treat the landscape as part of the drama rather than a backdrop. Jane Campion’s direction is praised for its control, and her long-standing interest in the friction between men and women is seen as the spine of the series. Elisabeth Moss is singled out in almost every notice, with several calling her detective the anchor of the whole thing; Peter Mullan draws praise too. The spread is narrow. Six of the seven reviews land somewhere between good and excellent, and the reservations are mild: a few remark on the oddness of the pacing and the Twin Peaks echoes without quite counting them as faults. The one mixed notice comes from The Guardian, which likes the lead and the bones of the story but finds the dialogue in the women’s commune odd and hard to believe. ## Vulture — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 March 2013. The critic praises the miniseries as a masterful police procedural that stands out for its atmospheric depth and exploration of sexism in a specific community. He singles out the symbolic potency of the New Zealand landscapes and Campion's command of the material as particularly compelling. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/03/tv-review-top-of-the-lake.html) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 January 2013. The critic finds the miniseries absorbing and richly atmospheric, centered on a multistranded crime saga in an isolated New Zealand community. Moss's excellent performance as the detective is highlighted, along with the singular strangeness and provocative setting that lingers beyond the plot. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/top-of-the-lake-1117949033/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2013. Festival review. The critic calls it an edgy, disturbing and first-rate crime drama that centers on women and features strong performances, especially from Moss and Mullan. It praises the atmospheric setting and Campion's direction while noting its Twin Peaks-like qualities and moral rot beneath beauty. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/top-lake-sundance-review-414082/) ## The Telegraph — Gerard O'Donovan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 17 August 2013. The finale delivers a satisfying resolution to an odd but engrossing series involving shocking twists. The critic highlights the breathtaking denouement and praises Elisabeth Moss's range. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/10248852/Top-of-the-Lake-BBC-Two-review.html) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 15 July 2013. Jane Campion's series is a complex, dark crime story with a strong female lead. The critic praises the seeds of a gripping narrative and Elisabeth Moss's performance but finds some dialogue in the women's commune bizarre and unconvincing. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/jul/15/top-of-the-lake-tv-review) ## Collider — Allison Keene Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 March 2013. The critic finds the series haunting and intensely engaging, with its unhurried, atmospheric storytelling grounded by a central mystery and propelled forward by a stunning New Zealand backdrop. Strong performances, especially Elisabeth Moss's raw work, stand out amid themes of moral decay and broken women. [Read the review](https://collider.com/top-of-the-lake-review-jane-campion/) ## Den of Geek — Louisa Mellor Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 July 2013. The review highlights the series' continuation of Campion's themes of gender conflict in a bleak, atmospheric New Zealand setting with strong performances, especially from Elisabeth Moss. It singles out the elliptical script and visual style for praise while noting early promise in blending crime mystery with character-driven elements. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/top-of-the-lake-episode-one-review-paradise-sold/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/top-of-the-lake.md