Does Director Justin Lin Signal a Stylistic Change for True Detective?
Justin Lin is the newest director to be rumored to taking on True Detective’s second season, and he joins a list that hasn’t exactly been flourishing, unlike the list of rumored cast members. The previous name on said list, William Friedkin, directed The Exorcist, To Live and Die in LA, and the Matthew McConaughey starring Killer Joe, among many others.
Lin has several Fast and Furious films under his belt, as well as Annapolis and the upcoming fifth Bourne movie. Suffice it to say, Lin has made his name on action films. William Friedkin made a certain kind of sense considering the dark and slower pace of his movies, but throwing Lin’s name in the pot may signal more of a focus on action.
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And that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. There is certainly plenty of room for action in True Detective on the canvas that previous director Cary Fukunaga helped to create. As long as things don’t veer into ridiculous territory, action and True Detective can go hand in hand.
Fukunaga is staying on as Producer, so there’s little worry that having Lin helm an episode or two will alienate fans. And since the list of directors is still intended to rotate, it’s possible that the specific episode that Lin is being considered for will in fact be action heavy, but doesn’t mean the entire season will play out that way.
There was very little action in the first season, but it was exciting and powerful when it was there. Having a varied group of directors behind the second season is one of the many ways that the season is going to break away from the first and hopefully carve its own path.