Few shows in recent memory created quite the sensation that creator Nic Pizzolato’s True Detective did when it debuted on HBO in 2014. The modern day southern gothic murder mystery was so well thought of that it made us take Matthew McConaughey seriously after a succession of low end romantic comedies that may have done well at the box office, but did nothing for Mr. “alright, alright’s” dramatic career. McConaughey’s partnering with Woody Harrelson proved to be a match far north of “the Carcosa,” and that first season is still spoken of in hushed, almost worshipful tones.
Unfortunately, season two was not received nearly so well, despite some outstanding work by Colin Farrell as a doomed cop. The heat came off the show almost as fast as it lit up. Season three with Mahershala Ali was received more warmly, but still not on par with season one. Now, five years after that third installment comes True Detective: Night Country, a fourth season that based on the pilot, aims to restore the show’s former glory in full.
Set in a small Alaskan town (the kind of place where everyone knows everyone’s business) not far from the arctic, in mid-December, right on the cusp of a season where daylight will gain no access to the frozen terrain, Night Country is as frigid as season one’s sweltering bayou locale. Show creator (and pilot director) Issa Lopez and her cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister (the gifted DP of Tar and Pachinko) make you feel the chill of the land so completely that you might be surprised when your own breath doesn’t turn to frost in the comfort of your own living room.
The setup is basic enough at bare-bones level: eight scientists mysteriously disappear with barely a trace, and the case falls into the laps of local sheriff Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Officer Evangeline Navarro (a revelatory Kali Reis). The two women have a past together and whatever personal/professional relationship they shared before is deeply strained over the outcome (or lack thereof) of the last case they worked on as partners—the murder of an indigenous woman.
In a brief prologue, we see the scientists at both work and repose in their compound. The opening quickly turns ominous with a hallway scene reminiscent of the famous Dario Argento shot from Suspiria (only with a touch more restraint).
Like season one, Night Country blends the detective and horror genres in such a way that there’s even a touch of the supernatural seemingly at play. Based on the first episode, Night Country may be leaning into an otherworldly direction in a more literal sense than the show’s inaugural season did. There is a sequence with a polar bear in the middle of the town’s main thoroughfare that appears to be an ominous vision, and another scene where a character sees a coatless, barefoot man in the snow who betrays no shiver, and then closes the episode by pointing to a location where a horrible revelation is discovered.
Lopez rightly grounds the show with Foster (in fabulous no-nonsense form) as a woman who is exceedingly good at her job, but almost in a rote manner. Being a cop is a job, and she’s a natural, but she is not inspired. Conversely, Reis (a former champion boxer turned actor who was nominated for an Independent Spirit award for her stunning turn in Catch the Fair One), is far more driven and antagonistic. One aspect of the case of the missing scientists ties, however tangentially, to the case that ruined their friendship years before.
One might think that Reis, in just her second major role and certainly her most high-profile part to date, might struggle to go toe-to-toe with Foster, considering the heavy nature of the material. But I suppose having been a woman who used to hit in the face for a living toughens one up, and Reis is every bit Foster’s equal in Night Country—difference in experience be damned. Reis is a striking figure, with her matching cheek piercings, heavily tattooed body, and commanding physical presence. As you are watching her on screen, it’s hard not to be stunned by what a natural match she is for Foster, who is working at the tip-top of her game. While it’s still early, the first episode makes it clear that their fractious relationship will likely be the heart of the season. The two women have instant chemistry, and it’s going to be fascinating to see where the show takes them as we learn more about the damage caused by their previous case, now brought back to life from the coldest of cold states.
While much of what happens in episode one includes the necessary setup of the case and the introduction of the pertinent characters, there is a confidence and specificity that you feel watching Night Country under Lopez’s strong guidance. Episode one is both patient and forceful in equal measure. The harsh weather, and the constant darkness add to the sense of dread. In this season of zero sun, all things go bump in the night, because there is nothing other than night.
At one point, Reis’s Navarro is having a conversation with an acquaintance who may well become a more important part of the season as it moves forward. In their back and forth, the man asks Navarro if she believes in God. She says that she does.
“Must be nice,” he responds.
“What?” Navarro replies.
“Knowing we’re not alone.”
“No, we’re alone,” Navarro states. “God too.”
In that moment, the viewer gets a sense of what they are in for over the remaining five episodes. Grip the arms of your chair tightly, a great darkness is coming.
