Wayward Pines

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense) may have lost the Midas touch, but his reputation is on the upswing again, in part due to Wayward Pines. The former wunderkind is an executive producer and he directed the premiere episode of this agreeably spooky mystery drama—based on a 2012-14 trilogy of novels by Blake Crouch—about the black hole goings-on in a small town in Idaho. Matt Dillon carries an ironic twinkle in his eye as secret service agent Ethan Burke, whose missing person investigation takes him to Wayward Pines, a destination that he is apparently bound never to leave. It's the kind of place where the route out of town loops endlessly back in, the phone lines are constantly down, and the kooky inhabitants all share a wavelength of paranoia. Chief among them is Sheriff Pope (Terrence Howard), who rules with an iron fist and public executions. The debut season sports some maddening, circular plots and an absolutely insane backstory, but the detailed production design, creative chutzpah, and surefooted ensemble cast make for many memorable moments. The residents include Toby Jones as a malevolent psychiatrist, Melissa Leo as a not-so-kindly Nurse Ratched-type, Carla Gugino as one of Burke's (maybe) missing people, and Juliette Lewis as a seemingly sympathetic bartender. Compiling all 10 episodes from the 2015 first season, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes. Recommended. (T. Fry)