It's been a minute since the third chapter of HBO's True Detective concluded and this signalled the end of writer/show-runner Nic Pizzolatto's involvement in the creative process. The network decided to hire a new creative force in Issa Lopez, whose feature Tigers Are Not Afraid is one of the best films I've ever seen. Together with Jodie Foster, newcomer Kali Reis and an impressive supporting cast of recognizable faces and indigenous newcomers they have offered up Night Country, a new iteration and the result is... sadly, very disappointing. In telling the frigid story of several scientists who go missing from a remote arctic research station tying into a near decades old murder, Lopez aspires to pay tribute to horror influences that have obviously shaped her work and creative outlook but doesn't lean heavily enough into them when the time comes for pay-off, the story feels confused, rushed (it's a gaunt 6 episode runtime) and haphazardly meandered together using callbacks to Pizzolatto's mythology and characters from season 1 that don't feel earned, relevant or properly placed whatsoever. Foster and Reis are admittedly terrific, giving these two potentially fascinating lead characters their all in committed performances and so too do standout supporting actors like the always reliable Fiona Shaw, Isabella Lablanc and scene stealing Joel Montgrand. But the writing lets them all down tragically, squandering midsection episodes on unfocused interpersonal conflict that isn't well cultivated and then brusquely wrapping up arcs in a busy finale that strives for cathartic emotional beats it just hasn't planted the seeds of earlier on. There are things that work, namely some unique elements to the spooky score by Vince Pope, some rousing soundtrack choices but an obviously high budget ends up working against favour, giving things a sleek, steely (and often badly CGI'd) look but robbing the season of a truly atmospheric, lived-in aura or real sense of personality and perspective in the details of its Alaskan setting. I was prepared to really love this, even given the change-up in creative forces employed here and I'll reiterate, the new artist they chose is somebody whose work I love prior.. but this is simply not a good season of television, and is by far the weakest table leg in the four pronged True Detective legacy thus far.
Review of Night Country: Part 6
