True Detective fingerprintMasterful craft, stunning style, light on feelings.
Nerve-racking
Builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.
Melancholic and moving
Some sharp wit
Not a comedy at heart.
Crime, mystery, and the mind
Lived-in and easy to get lost in. Holds up on a rewatch.
Standout direction, performances, and dialogue
Layered plot that rewards full attention.
Standout cinematography, editing, and score
A distinctive visual signature.
Nerve-racking
Builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.
True Detective is nerve-racking. The story builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.
Melancholic and moving
Emotionally, it's melancholic and moving.
Crime, mystery, and the mind
Lived-in and easy to get lost in. Holds up on a rewatch.
Its world is built around crime, mystery, and the mind. The setting feels lived-in and easy to get lost in. It holds up on a rewatch. It leaves some questions open.
Standout direction, performances, and dialogue
Layered plot that rewards full attention.
The direction, performances, and dialogue stand out. The plot is layered and rewards full attention.
Standout cinematography, editing, and score
A distinctive visual signature.
Look and sound: the cinematography, editing, and score stand out.
Based on the GoodWatch fingerprint: our scores for 70+ attributes of every show. Select a row to see all of them.
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The truth lies in the dark.
Overall: Similar vibe.
Quick answers from GoodWatch data.
True Detective is included with a subscription to YouTube TV, TNT, and HBO Max in the United States. You can also rent or buy it from Apple TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Google Play Movies. All links in Where to Watch go to these licensed services.
Mostly. It's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 77/100 (IMDb 8.8, Rotten Tomatoes 78%, and Metacritic 75). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.
It's rated TV-MA in the United States. Content advisories: violence, nudity, sexual content, strong language, drug use, suicide themes, and disturbing imagery.
4 seasons
It has 4 seasons with 30 episodes and is still in production.
Yes. Critics average 77 and audiences 75 out of 100, so both groups see True Detective much the same way.
It started in 2014 and is still in production.
It was made in English. Produced in Mexico, United States.
+103GoodWatch finds legal streaming, rental, or purchase options for True Detective in 117 countries. Pick any of them in Where to Watch to see the local services.
TV Tropes lists 398 storytelling tropes for True Detective, including Nordic Noir, Establishing Character Moment, Reassigned to Antarctica.
8.8
