I love the creepy aspects of a murder mystery. It’s why I love David Fincher stories. What makes True Detective: Night Country stand out is the fact that we’re seeing an added layer of fear to the series: the darkness. There are many studies about why we’re afraid of the dark. Night Country is just using that to its benefit.
Set in the town of Ennis, Alaska, this season of the series takes place at a time of year when the Sun doesn’t rise in Alaska. For a roughly 2-month span of time, the darkness consumes those who live there, and setting a detective story in the midst of it, with shadows moving, has given this season an extra level of creepiness that makes you uneasy as you’re meeting these characters for the first time.
Maybe it is the air of unknown about the deaths of the scientists that Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) is trying to solve. When we see the beginning of their disappearance and hear a comment about how “she’s awake,” there are things hiding in the dark, quickly moving around. While I was watching it, my responses were tied to a few choice words—”nope” and then “absolutely not” among them.
For me, the added layer of fear may be personal because I don’t like what lurks in the shadows, but it does add an air of fascinating mystery to the show.
It’s really asking if you’re afraid of the dark.
So many moments in this show have me on the edge of my seat. While I am comforted by the ability of Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis), can she fight off what lurks in that darkness for me? There’s a reason that I run into my room and shut the door as quickly as possible when I shut off all my lights before bed. We have this unspoken fear of what we can’t see when a light isn’t shining on it. It is honestly one of the reasons the idea of Alaska not having Sun was never necessarily appealing to me.
But for the narrative of Night Country, it adds that necessary level of fear lurking where we cannot see. Watching as Rose (Fiona Shaw) stands outside with the darkness behind her, cutting a wolf, and then a man appears? That alone would have me RUNNING for the hills, and it is just that added layer of fear the show naturally has built in.
It’s dark, it’s terrifying, and it is captivating. Everything about Night Country that works is due to the amazing team bringing it to life, but this is definitely a “watch this with the lights on” show for me.
(featured image: Max)
