After a sneaky rewatch of the original True Detective (2014). Written and directed by Issa López. Happenings in a remote Alaska mining town over Christmas/New Year when the sun does not rise. Quite bad. I was so happy to clock Christopher Eccleston though his (minor) role is mostly explained while he is off screen. He shares an execrable sex scene with Jodie Foster. Kali Reis has her moments in valiant support as a sort of Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks) ingenue, and this points to the central flaw: it cannot make up its mind whether it is a supernatural or small-town horror. Far too many characters and jump scares, so much withheld information, malfunctioning scenes and dialogue of increasing quantity as the season drug on, so much auxiliary dross that did not further the story or characterisation. Nothing new is said. The cinematography is uninventive and flawed. I hated the soundtrack. It would have worked better as a two-hour movie, which is not to say it would have worked.
The ratings at Rotten Tomatoes show a massive divergence in opinion between the commentariat and the unwashed masses. Mike Hale at the New York Times.
