2 out of 5

Created by: Aaron Guzikowski

Covers season 1

So in 2013, Sundance debuted ‘Recitfy,’ an original series.  ‘Rectify’ moved at a snail’s pace and certainly overreached with its attempts to be powerful, but it did well in tying its story to its vibe and themes: the contemplative dread that ran throughout the episodes was integral to how we perceived our characters and what happened to them.  This year we have ‘Red Road,’ which burbles with elements of low-key noir as cop Harold Jensen (Martin Henderson) finds himself stepping on his own lies in an attempt to protect his wife, Jean (Julianne Nicholson) – mentally troubled since the loss of a child – from the potential ramifications of a hit-and-run of which she was the perpetrator.  Episode one wants to deal us a heavy hand, bringing back-from-jail Phillip Kopus (Jason Momoa) into the mix as the witness who’ll turn Jean in unless Harold helps him out…  The title would seem to be, in part, a reference to the uncomfortable clash of culture with the Indian tribe to which Kopus belongs, and the show does try to pepper in extra drama with prejudices going back and forth across the cultural divide – Harold’s daughter dating an Indian, Kopus of mixed blood himself – but as the first season ticks by, the show has difficulty marrying the themes to its central coverup.  You can sense something fairly tense beneath the surface – Henderson’s performance burbling with intensity, Momoa appropriately frightening as a heavy – but it’s as though Sundance demanded that ‘Red Road’ mimic ‘Rectify’s sense of quiet and lumbering – ‘Road’ opts for the same style (minimal music contributed by Daniel Licht), but as it’s at odds with the actual story, all sense of movement absolutely dissipates, to the point where the various storylines drift so far apart that they might as well have been completely separate tales.  These separate moments can still be compelling, enough so to keep watching to see if writer Guzikowski has plans for wrapping it all together, but no such convergence happens.  If there is a second season, ditching the mystery might allow for the cultural dynamics to take center stage, giving a talented group of actors more to do than look upset.