After a few duds following the highly acclaimed first season, True Detective returns to its roots with an outstanding fourth installment that's equal parts creepy and fascinating.
In this sequel to the crime anthology series, Jodie Foster takes the lead as lead detective Liz Danvers in an investigation that begins with a severed tongue and becomes delightfully darker as the story progresses.
The disappearance of a group of men from a research station is linked to the unsolved murder of Annie, an Alaska Native climate activist.
HBO
State Trooper Evangeline “Angie” Navarro (Kali Reis) also gets caught up in this tangled web thanks to her connection to Annie, a case that she was unable to get rid of in the years that followed.
Writer-director Issa López's Night Country finds strong female leads in both Foster and Reis, and is the polar opposite of its competitors with male-centered narratives that have served (with varying degrees of success) as explorations of masculinity.
While Night Country's gritty cop story is filtered through a female prism, it doesn't blow the viewer away with that fact.
Foster's Liz has an authoritative, no-nonsense demeanor shaped by her experience as a mother, her past trauma, and her current relationships – all of which make this a complicated woman.
On the other hand, her dynamic duo counterpart Angie is a refreshing break from the stereotypical image of the TV cop.
HBO
Aside from being a Native American woman, her facial piercings and tattoos that extend down to her neck signal that she is far from the type of person who typically fills this role. And yet from rice you get a toughness that gives way to fragility and strength, but also sensuality.
She's the kind of character we would never have heard of ten years ago – and how much we would have missed her if that was still the case.
Exploring Alaska Native culture also allows for the development of complex storylines surrounding race. In return, they complement the deeply eerie events, which are made even scarier by the clever camera work.
True Detective: Night Country is set in Ennis, Alaska, during the polar night season (a time of winter when there is no light).
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López uses this natural phenomenon to shroud the unsettling, ever-evolving mystery in deep darkness.
Night Country's use of dark tones against artificial lighting and a general overcast creates a sense of foreboding that results in a rich viewing experience. In addition to the mystery, there are also the relationships that are so complex that they become a mystery in their own right simply because of their complexity.
No spoilers here, but boss Liz Danvers' family dynamic is a therapist's playground with countless hurts and love flowing through the family tree.
Foster and Reis are also an enjoyable couple; Liz faces cynicism, Angie's painful hope is full of nuance and courage. These ladies carry the show and they do it brilliantly.
True Detective: Night Country starts on January 15th on Sky Atlantic and the streaming service NOW
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TV Writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her master's degree in magazine journalism in 2013 and has since progressed professionally in the industry. She spent six years honing her analytical review skills at the Good Housekeeping Institute, eventually becoming assistant director of food testing. From 2013 to 2020, she also freelanced in film and television journalism, interviewing A-list stars such as Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021, she joined Digital Spy as a TV writer, where she can delve deeper into what she loves by watching tons of TV in the name of her work. Since taking on the role, she has done red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed on BBC Radio and London Live. In her free time she also publishes the book “Gothic Angel”.