Kiwi Drama…

We have just finished watching an exciting and dark drama from New Zealand called Top of the Lake which stars Elizabeth Moss (from Mad Men), Holly Hunter and the dramatic scenery of the South Island. Sue was impressed with the landscapes and would like to spend more time there, perhaps during the wintertime too. She was less enamoured with the depiction of bleak rural life and the harsh gang culture shown in the series which was depressing and scary in equal measure – hopefully this was dramatic license by the writers. It was an enthralling story of mysterious characters and tangled relationships of people who are both intimately involved and totally isolated at the same time. The wide open expanses of mountains and lakes added to the dramatic tension and to the feelings of loss and loneliness. Beautifully shot to show the Queenstown area at its most moody and majestic the scenery provides a perfect backdrop to the slow paced story that builds tension as the well acted characters are placed on a collision course that explodes in the final big-reveal episode.