This series to watch when the heat is unbearable

When the mercury climbed past 35 °C in parts of southeast England last week—peaking at 35.8 °C in Faversham on July 1, 2025¹—I did what any sensible person would: I shut all the windows, cranked the air-con and settled in front of my screen. That’s when I discovered True Detective: Night Country, the perfect antidote to a sweltering day. This fourth instalment of the acclaimed anthology series, which premiered on January 14, 2024², drags you away from sticky heat and drops you into the Arctic’s perpetual darkness, where mystery and menace lurk beneath icy winds.

The perfect series to send shivers down your spine

In Night Country, police chief Liz Danvers ( Jodie Foster ) teams up with FBI agent Evangeline Navarro ( Kali Reis ) to solve the baffling disappearance of eight men from a remote research station. As they trudge through snowdrifts and abandoned labs, you’ll feel a genuine chill in the air—and not just because it’s snowing on screen. Director-writer Issa López builds tension with a haunting score and stark, minimalist cinematography. On Rotten Tomatoes the season holds a 92 % critics approval rating, with consensus calling it “frighteningly atmospheric and anchored by Jodie Foster and Kali Reis’ superb performances”³.

I found myself watching back-to-back episodes one scorching afternoon, only to realise I was shivering under a blanket while my thermostat stubbornly read 26 °C. The sense of isolation and creeping dread is so immersive, it actually cools your mind even if your living room feels like an oven.

Star power: Jodie Foster & Kali Reis

What truly elevates Night Country is the dynamic between Foster’s steely, wryly humorous Danvers and Reis’s quietly intense Navarro. Their chemistry crackles in every interrogation room and hushed midnight stakeout. Foster’s deadpan observations about Arctic bureaucracy had me laughing out loud, while Reis’s determination keeps you glued to the screen. With nuanced performances and a strong supporting cast, this season captures both the human and the supernatural sides of crime-solving—in temperatures so low, you’ll forget just how high your electric bill is running.

Did you know? Kali Reis is a former two-weight world champion boxer who studied criminology before turning to acting⁴.

If you’re hunting for something to cool you off when the heat is unbearable, True Detective: Night Country on Max (or via a Prime Video HBO add-on) is your go-to. Just don’t blame me if you end up craving a winter getaway!

Footnotes

1. 2025 European heatwaves, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_European_heatwaves

2. True Detective: Night Country, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Detective_season_4

3. True Detective: Night Country | Season 4, Rotten Tomatoes, https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/true_detective/s04

4. True Detective’s Kali Reis Shines a Light on Indigenous Issues: ‘I Get to Voice the Voiceless’, People, https://people.com/true-detective-kali-reis-shines-a-light-on-indigenous-issues-exclusive-8602904