TV Show Review - True Detective (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2019
Starring: Mahershala Ali, Stephen Dorff, Scoot McNairy, Michael Rooker, Carmen Ejogo, Ray Fisher

Description: A macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks and a mystery deepens over decades and plays out in three separate time periods. Detectives Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) and Roland West (Stephen Dorff) investigate this dark crime.

Review: The first season of “True Detective” was a sensation. Unknown what to expect, every episode was as intriguing and the mystery kept viewers on the edge of their seats. It had interesting lead characters and the show captivated everyone until the end. So the bar was set for the second season. A new story, new characters, but as expected, it never met the success of the first season.
Season 3 starts again, with a new story and new detectives. We meet Wayne Hays in 2015, who is being interviewed for a TV show about a case of a missing child, that he worked on in the 1980s. In the 1990s more information became available. So this story is told during three time periods: the original investigation in the 1980s, the reopening of the case in the 1990s and the look back in 2015.
In 1980, two kids disappear and detectives Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) and Roland West (Stephen Dorff) investigate this case. When we see the conversations held in 1990 and 2015, we learn that conclusions are drawn that will probably be revisited.
While the investigation is shown in three different time lines, we also get to know Hays and what this case does to him. He meets his wife and mother of his children. The scenes between Hays and his wife Amelia, shows us character development as well.
Although we follow three timelines and they switch constantly, it’s never hard to follow.
The performances are really good. Mahershala Ali steals the show and carries it easily. But Stephen Dorff as well, he is really strong in his role.
The third season of “True Detective” manages to come closer to season 1, when it comes to style, atmosphere, the story, the characters, the performances and how invested you will be. It’s still not as good as the first season, but it comes awfully close.

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 65: The Iceman

Director: Ariel Vromen

Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime

Runtime: 103 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, Ray Liotta, David Schwimmer, Stephen Dorff, James Franco, Robert Davi, Danny A. Abeckaser, John Ventimiglia, Ryan O’Nan, McKaly Miller, Megan Sherrill, Hecktor Hank, Zoran Radanovich, Shira Vilensky, Kelly Lind, John P. Fertitta, Erin Cummings

Description: The true story of Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon), the notorious contract killer and family man. When finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife (Winona Ryder) nor daughters have any clue about his real profession.

Review: Hundreds of people lost their lives to relentless hitman Richard Kuklinksi aka The Iceman. In the adaptation of this story director Ariel Vromen choose Michael Shannon to portray Kuklinski. And with also Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, Winona Ryder and a small role from James Franco, this looks like a promising film. It’s the acting that makes this movie interesting, not the plot.

Working for various criminal originations Kuklinski kills almost 250 people (according to himself). This is combined with the confrontations about honor, trust and loyalty within the criminal world. Besides this dark life he is living, Kuklinski has a loving wife and two daughters, who know nothing about his job. This gets the audience in the situation where we see him as a cold blooded killer and as a loving husband and father.

Michael Shannon is a perfect choice for this role. His appearance makes it very believable and he is genuinely scary is a hitman. Like I said before, the acting in this movie is very strong. It’s better than the movie itself. Which doesn’t mean that it’s bad, because it’s a very enjoyable film. But not a movie that you will remember for a long time.

Rating: 3/ 5