True Detective: Night Country – Season 4 Review

TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY on HBO Max is season 4 of the genre anthology series. Once again with a new cast and story, it’s back in excellent form. Read our full True Detective: Night Country series review here!

TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY is season 4 of the HBO Original anthology series that deals with crime, thriller, mystery, and even the horror genre. With this fourth season, we’re almost back to the awesome level of season 1 that made the series as popular as it is.

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Check out our review of season 3 here >

Despite the press material insisting on calling True Detective a “drama series”, we all know better. Never has the genre mix been more obvious than with this one. The season has six episodes and we’ve watched them all for this review.

Continue reading our True Detective: Night Country series review below. Season 4 premieres on HBO Max on January 14, 2024.

A murder mystery in cold and dark Alaska

Moving the setting from the heat of Texas or California is a great choice and an intriguing way to innovate the basis of this anthology. While we do see the beauty of Alaska, it’s set during the “days of night”, so there isn’t much in terms of daylight.

It truly is a murder set in the extreme cold and neverending darkness of Alaska during these days of night. Hence the title of Night Country for season 4 of True Detective.

The story plays out in Ennis, Alaska, where the men operating a research station suddenly vanish. This is what the series opens with, and as the first investigators arrive, it really does look like someone just grabbed them out of thin air.

A movie is still playing in the entertainment room, someone was in the middle of making a sandwich, and everything looks full of life. Except it’s been deserted. And then they find the bodies!

Oh yeah, it’s quite brutal… as are the scenes when they need to work on investigating said bodies.

To get to the bottom of this mystery, Detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) have to work together. Also, they will be forced to confront the darkness head-on as they dig into the haunted truths that must be brought to light.

Loved the cast

Many of the characters in Night Country aren’t particularly likable. Others are extremely likable, but that’s the classic driver, isn’t it?! Having the one kind and almost naive person, who will probably get corrupted as things evolve and they are surrounded by more jaded people.

In any case, Jodie Foster and Kali Reis are brilliant as the two lead detectives. They can’t really stand one another, but at the same time, there is both history and trust there. Especially the trust becomes all important as forces are working against the truth.

This anthology is called True Detective after all, and they will not rest until the truth has been revealed. How they act upon discovering the truth, is another matter entirely.

Also in key roles and delivering memorable performances, we have Fiona Shaw (Kindred), John Hawkes (Too Old to Die Young), Christopher Eccleston (28 Days Later), Anna Lambe, Finn Bennett,  and Isabella LaBlanc (Pet Sematary: Bloodlines). To name just a few!

Not as supernatural or gay as you’d think

The biggest initial shock for me? This season isn’t nearly as gay as you would think. I know people watched the trailer and saw Jodie Foster (a famous gay woman) and Kali Reis (full of tattoos, piercings, and muscles) and figured this would be all gay all the time.

Well, it really isn’t. Not from either of these two, anyway. And while I was surprised at first (I can admit that), I also ended up actually liking this fact.

Also, there is something almost supernatural teased at several points throughout the story. It has to do with folklore and superstition more than anything. Now, I won’t say it isn’t supernatural or paranormal at all. However, it really isn’t either as you might think at first.

Watch True Detective: Night Country on HBO Max

This time, the HBO Original Series True Detective season titled Night Country comes from Issa López, who has been mentored by Guillermo del Toro. If this, along with the True Detective label, isn’t enough to get you excited, then you’re on your own.

Also, Issa López directed the film festival hit movie Tigers Are Not Afraid, which we covered during Fantasia in 2018. With this series, you’ll recognize elements of that movie, but also see how she has made it fit in perfectly with this particular anthology. Getting better with each episode.

This season is full of surprises and has elements that seem more paranormal. However, stay calm, it’s not nearly as wild and supernatural as you might think. This is a crime mystery, after all.

And yes, the True Detective season 4 ending explains everything in the sixth and final episode. With an extremely satisfying ending to the Night Country story, I might add.

True Detective: Night Country premieres on Max in the US on January 14, 2024. In other countries, it’s on HBO Max from January 15.

Details

Creator / Director / Screenplay: Issa López
Cast: Jodie Foster, Kali Reis, Finn Bennett, Fiona Shaw, Christopher Eccleston, Isabella Star LaBlanc, John Hawkes, Anna Lambe, Aka Niviâna, June Thiele, Diane Benson, Joel D. Montgrand