True Detective

The connection between Nic Pizzolatto and movies is not a hit parade, but in the series he has clearly found himself. Starting with the excellent The Killing and ending with this eight-hour treat, it's as if you're sitting in a fancy restaurant, eating premium caviar and topping it off with a 50-year-old Riesling. Surprisingly, it’s a bit, but really only a tiny bit, spoiled by Matthew McConaughey and its overacting in places,and an accent you don't trust so much, but script-wise it's flawless. The story spans many years, yet the character development of both detectives is believable and it builds up nicely in the end. The Louisiana setting explicitly invites some redneck nastiness, the locals are proper rednecks and the killer rightly murderous. And the way the script relativizes the line between good and evil at times is downright delightful. (21/01/2024)

Well, it’s a fact, Nic Pizzolatto is currently the best writer of detective stories. The series is told in an intricate way, with many plot lines that come together perfectly in the end, without ever forgetting the poignant fates of individual characters (Farrell and his relationship with his son!). The atmosphere of an alienated industrial conglomeration, just made for criminal offences, was nauseating. Episode 6 – the visit to a brothel for the wealthy – had an almost horror-like feel. And the actors? Everyone is fantastic, every single one of them, but I'd single out two: Taylor Kitsch, whom I wish had a lot more acting opportunities, and Vince Vaughn, whose multi-faceted expression fits the ambiguous mobster character like a glove. He should stick to serious roles, they suit him. (31/03/2016)

That's a bad joke, right? From Cary Fukunaga's brilliant first series with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, it's a descent into the mire (snow), with Jodie Foster, whose sober performance is the only believable element in this mess. Even the silliest Austrian crime dramas that air on TV in the morning make more sense. It's utterly muddled, with scenes that don't build on each other, it introduces a bunch of characters into the story but nothing comes of it and sometimes it slides into self-deprecating parody. And with a terrible soundtrack to boot. I like the mystery, I wouldn't even mind it in this series, which has always held its ground, but there's nothing to latch on to here, even knowing that this is only the first episode. I'm giving it 2 stars out of mercy, or because it looks cinematic, but Issa Lopez will probably slowly go on my blacklist. (21/01/2024)

Issa López turned a potentially straightforward and dark crime drama into a soap opera. So thank you, and we're sending a keychain. (22/01/2024)