Rent True Detective: Series 1 (2014)
4.2 of 5 from 592 ratings
7h 19min
- General info
- Available formats
- All series
- Synopsis:
- In 1995, Detectives Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) and Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey), partners in Louisiana's Criminal Investigation Division, are assigned to a macabre murder by a killer with disturbing occult leanings. As they attempt to uncover the secrets of this bizarre crime, their own lives collide and entwine in unexpected, sometimes catastrophic ways. In 2012, when a similar case leads to an investigation of the original '95 murder by two new detectives, Marty and Rust separately tell the story of the investigation, their lives, and how they've affected each other as detectives, friends, and men.
- Actors:
- Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Potts, Tory Kittles, Alexandra Daddario, Kevin Dunn, Clarke Peters, Jay O. Sanders, Christopher Berry, Brad Carter, Joe Chrest, Jennifer K. Dawson, J.D. Evermore, Dana Gourrier, Charleigh Harmon, Michael Harney, Davi Jay, Jason Kirkpatrick, Tony Molina Jr.
- Directors:
- Cary Joji Fukunaga
- Producers:
- Carol Cuddy
- Creators:
- Nic Pizzolatto
- Writers:
- Nic Pizzolatto
- Studio:
- Warner
- Genres:
- TV Crimes, TV Dramas, TV Mysteries, TV Thrillers
- Collections:
- 2014, CinemaParadiso.co.uk Through Time
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 09/06/2014
- Run Time:
- 458 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French DTS 5.1, Latin American Spanish DTS 2.0
- Subtitles:
- Danish, Dutch, English, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, French, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.78:1 / 16:9
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Making True Detective: Behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew, including unseen footage
- Up Close with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson: Exclusive interviews with the stars about filming the series
- A Conversation with Nic Pizzolatto and T Bone Burnett: An in-depth discussion with the series creator/executive producer/ writer and the legendary composer on the series and the pivotal role of music
- Inside the Episode: Nic Pizzolatto and director Cary Joji Fukunaga share their thoughts on character development and offer insights into each episode
- Two Audio Commentaries: Featuring Nic Pizzolatto, T Bone Burnett and Executive Producer Scott Stephens
- Deleted Scenes: Never-before-seen footage from the series
- Trailer
- Disc 1:
- This disc includes the following episodes:
1. The Long Bright Dark
2. Seeing Things
3. The Locked Room - Disc 2:
- This disc includes the following episodes:
4. Who Goes There
5. The Secret Fate of All Life
6. Haunted Houses - Disc 3:
- This disc includes the following episodes:
7. After You've Gone
8. Form and Void
- Special Features
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Reviews (11) of True Detective: Series 1
Slow, dark, disturbing psychological drama about the hunt for a deranged serial killer. Excellent! - True Detective: Series 1 review by RP
Wow! This has to be one of the most gripping TV series I've watched 8 episodes, just under an hour each, with superb acting from the two main characters and a disturbing, adult-oriented story line.
It's a thriller + psychological drama about the hunt for a deranged serial killer, with a disturbing theme of child abduction and abuse, highly atmospheric and laced with a few sex scenes as the personal lives and character of the two detectives are explored. Plenty of f-ing and blinding - not one to watch with your granny.
Set in 2012, the story opens with two ex-cops, one now a private investigator, one a barman, being questioned about a case from 2008 as it transpires that a similar killing has occurred, casting doubt as to whether the old case was investigated properly. Told first through flashbacks and then moving forward to the (then) current day, we get a feel for the hard work that goes into a police investigation - no instant solutions here - and the pressures and strains that a close working relationship with a partner, long hours away from home, grim details of cases, places on personal relationships both at work and at home.
If you're looking for cops-and-robbers, car chases, lots of crash-bang-wallop then look elsewhere - this is slow moving, slow burning, compelling drama rather all-out action.
The acting from Woody Harrelson and in particular from Matthew McConaughey is excellent, the plot detailed, enthralling and disturbing, the soundtrack evocative - and the Louisiana countryside and bayous superbly photographed. Excellent stuff.
I do have a minor criticism - having said that the soundtrack is excellent, the song that plays over the final credits seems seriously out of touch with the climax of such a dark drama...
5/5 stars. Highly recommended if you like your cop dramas slow and disturbing.
6 out of 6 members found this review helpful.
Superb storytelling - True Detective: Series 1 review by PC
This is what binge watching is for, a superb and disturbing tale of murder and abuse that builds to a superb climax. The acting, writing and directing are superb, it may be a bit wordy in places but see it through to the end.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Bought on a whim, sold for life... - True Detective: Series 1 review by Schrödinger's Cake
I’m not usually interested in TV series (well, other than the ubiquitous Game of Thrones), but after a chance encounter with True Detective I was instantly hooked.
The script, filming and acting are all first-class, and the story is delightfully dark, believable and engaging. The characters are instantly engaging, as the writers have managed to avoid falling into the same old hackneyed, 2D stereotypes. Fully rounded characters, with flaws, strengths and back stories that work.
It doesn’t get much better than this!
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
True Detective: Series 1 review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso
Cop dramas and procedurals for television have never been of a particular high interest to myself, but True Detective manages to rise far above the subgenre. Here is a dramatic detective story that doesn’t stick to the routine formula of an unlikely pair on the hunt for a serial killer. It develops real and deep characters as opposed to plot puppets with stock motivation. It creates an alluring mystery that relies more on the creep factor of the killer’s ideas rather than the shock of his actions. The result is a drama that hits you hard and never lets go in one of the most absorbing detective shows I’ve seen in years.
Taking place in rural Louisiana, detectives Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson) and Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) investigate the murder of a woman murdered near a tree with antlers attached to her head. The case of the killer known as the Yellow King is told non-linearly between 1995 when the first murder takes place and 2012 where the two detectives find themselves on the case once again. While the killer’s web of motivations gradually unfold, it’s the personal lives of our two protagonists that hold our attention more. Hart is a family man with issues maintaining his marriage while Rust is an insomniac obsessed with trying to understand the philosophy of life. We’re given a personal look into these characters’ private moments where they find themselves beaten down by the world and questioning their own existence.
That’s not to say the Yellow King storyline isn’t interesting as it is a very terrifying mystery. Each layer unraveled reveals a much darker and twisted path of satanic themes related to the murders. Chilling clues of stick figures and spiral tattoos may seem common for darker detective stories, but here it’s rather effective in how grim the trail slowly builds to the grisly resolution. There are naturally some gunfights and stabbings along the way from vicious suspects, but they’re kept to a minimum and the few present are very brutal in the depiction of violence. The narc job gone horribly wrong is an unforgettable sequence and some of the best TV ever shot.
I especially dug how through the perspective of Rust, a man so obsessed with the futility of life in his drug-induced lifestyle, we start seeing strange symbols in the oddest places. This keeps the whole supernatural angle of the show so very appealing in how you’re never quite sure if what Rust is seeing is real or a hallucination. The challenge is maintained up to the very point where they finally catch up to the killer which reveals some startling visuals. The vague nature may seem infuriating for those who demand hard answers, but any TV show that leaves you questioning and deciphering long after the ending is a program worth watching in my book.
The crowning achievement of True Detective is without a doubt the acting of both Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. Harrelson’s bottled desperation paired up with McConaughey’s nihilistic approach to the twisted appearance of reality makes for an unbeatable acting duo. Their characters have such a perfect chemistry that resonates well for their flawed nature. When they’re doing their job, they’re very dark individuals who go far beyond the call of duty with a semi-vigilante style of detective work. At one point Rust talks down a witness into confessing to which he leaves the witness with his own wisdom of killing yourself in prison to avoid the horror.
But the best parts are by far the passages when the two are off the clock. Some of my favorite moments in the series occur when they’re just driving to a crime scene discussing their lives and philosophy on human nature. These are not just another two mismatched cops entirely focused on the case at hand. They feel like real human beings deeply troubled by their work and the lives they've carved out. Even those around them receive just as much detail as in the case of Hart’s family which are far more than accessories for defining our protagonist.
True Detective takes the cop drama genre into a realm usually reserved for Oscar-worthy movies. These are two great actors at the top of their game with a stellar script to boot. It’s also one of the most unconventional cop dramas ever made for television with its brilliant weave of southern gothic and neo-noir elements. Not a single shot is fired until the fourth episode and you’ll find yourself far more engrossed by the three-dimensional development of the characters, being honest to its title. Eight episodes just isn't enough for this miniseries and you just may find yourself agreeing when you hit that season finale.