True Detective - DVD

Film: 1995: In the sugar cane fields of Louisiana, the body of young Dora Lang is found. The way the body was tied up and draped suggests an occult background. Detective Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) and his new partner Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) dive deeper and deeper into the dark heart of Louisiana in their investigation and are also increasingly confronted with the abysses of their own souls. 17 years, the two cops have long gone their separate ways. But the investigation of a similar murder case leads to the fact that they are questioned as witnesses and must reveal their view of the investigation of yesteryear. In the process, it becomes clear that even after all these years, the Dora Lang case is far from closed and continues to shape the lives of both men...

True Detective looks like a feature film, has a cast like a feature film, and was directed by an award-winning feature film director. And yet, the thriller is a TV production. Penned by writer and screenwriter Nic Pizzolatto, the eight-part series is another prime example of the paradise serial junkies are currently living in. Sophisticated, intelligent scripts, top-notch actors and visuals that push the boundaries of the usual TV look are no longer a rarity in the era of Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire or House of Cards. In True Detective, the superb camerawork by two-time Emmy winner Adam Arkapaw (Lore, Top of the Lake) creates just the right atmosphere. All eight episodes are directed by Cary Fukanaga (Sin Nombre), creating a very consistent look stylistically. And in front of the camera, Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey and two-time Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson deliver quite great performances.

They are supported by top-notch co-stars like Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone), Alexandra Daddario (Percy Jackson) and Kevin Dunn (Veep). But what good are Oscar winners and talented actors if the story isn't right. But fortunately, True Detective boasts top-notch material here as well. The story, which takes place on three time levels (1995, 2002 and 2012), is extremely cleverly constructed and, despite many slow moments, is able to captivate the viewer from the first minute to the finale. There are probably very few who are not pressed in the chair with tension in the second half of the last episode.

Of course, not too much should be revealed about the plot here. Only this much maybe: even if the murder case Dora Lang is ostensibly the focus, the series is actually more about the inner demons of Marty and especially of Rust. And exactly this works so well, because two really great actors could be engaged here. You shouldn't expect much action, even though there are some fast-paced moments of suspense. Rather, the tension is created on an atmospheric and a psychological level. And that makes True Detective an extremely intense TV experience.

Who likes it dark and sophisticated, who loves series like Breaking Bad or even David Lynch's masterpiece Twin Peaks, will also succumb quite quickly to the addictive factor of True Detective. After episode 8, however, the story of Marty and Rust is over. In the already announced second season, by the way, a whole new story will be told at a new location with other actors. Let's hope that the extremely high level of this really great season can be maintained in the future. A real must-see and therefore also: absolutely worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The picture is very atmospherically implemented, which is due to the good mixing of black levels and the reduced colors. From time to time there are minor weaknesses in the detail representation, but overall the image sharpness is at a good level. The audio is in an atmospheric Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which can convince with a good mix of powerfully mixed dialogue, music and smaller sound effects. Not quite a big surround firework, but rather decently atmospheric and thus just right for this great series. Good!

Extras: The bonus material is spread across all three DVDs. On the first disc, in addition to a cut scene for Episode 3 (approx. 5:59 min.), there are short Inside the Episode featurettes for Episodes 1 - 3 (approx. 11:49 min.). The second DVDs also features these insights into episodes 4 - 6 (approx. 13:30 mins), as well as audio commentaries on episodes 4 (with series creator Nic Pizzolatto and composer T-Bone Burnett) and 5 (with Pizzolatto, Burnett and producer Scott Stephens). Although there are some lengthy pauses during the commentaries, the conversations are highly interesting and entertaining. Absolutely worth listening to for fans!

The final DVD has two concluding Inside the Episode featurettes (approx. 9:17 min.), as well as a Deleted Scene for Episode 8 (approx. 3:27 min.) to offer. There's also a Making of (approx. 15:02 min.) worth watching, a four-part interview with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson about certain scenes (approx. 7:44 min.), and a fascinating conversation between Nic Pizzolatto and T-Bone Burnett (approx. 13:50 min.). Good!

Conclusion: True Detective impressively demonstrates that sometimes television can be great cinema, too. The dark, eight-part thriller is atmospherically tightly staged, superbly acted and magnificently filmed. It is disturbing, suspenseful and multi-layered. This is not shallow entertainment, but sophisticated psychological thriller fare at its best, which is presented on DVD in good picture and sound quality and also has some extras worth watching. If you love series like Breaking Bad, you can't miss True Detective. Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp