The Gone: TVNZ's Kiwi-Irish drama has us asking, is Aotearoa-noir ...

REVIEW: Mt. Affinity was the last place Detective Sergeant Diana Huia (Acushla-Tara Kupe) wanted as the backdrop to her first sole-charge investigation.

Read this story in te reo Māori and English here. / Pānuitia tēnei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā ki konei.

She still has plenty of raw, traumatic memories from her former hometown, while it is only now shaking off the stigma of the “mountain murders” that took place some 17 years ago.

So the mysterious disappearance of Irish visitors Sinead Martin (Rachel Morgan) and Ronan Garvey (Simon Mead) has everyone on edge. The management consultant and Instagram fitness influencer seemingly just vanishing one night, leaving pots boiling and their phones charging.

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Complicating the case still further is a possible link to an Irish criminal cartel.

In her role as criminal court judge back on the Emerald Isle, Sinead’s mother Hannah (Michelle Fairley) recently put away the head of the Fallon cartel for life – a decision that has resulted in repeated threats to her own.

The mere hint that they could be part of the equation has seen Hannah call in a favour from former Dublin detective Theo Richter (Richard Flood). Having flown halfway around the world, he’s more than happy to be used by Huia in whatever capacity she needs, although its clear he’s also battling his own demons and – like Huia – is none too impressed that he’s been followed in his journey by infamous Irish tabloid journalist Aileen Ryan (Carolyn Bracken).

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The Gone could well propel the impressive Acushla-Tara Kupe to stardom.

While the policing pair sift through Ronan’s seemingly endless Insta posts, footage from the town’s sole CCTV camera and discover Sinead’s blood-stained earring under the deck of their rented rural farmhouse, they also sense they’re in the midst of a community rife with tension – for other reasons.

With The Gone’s (now streaming on TVNZ+) twisted tale of potential murder, troubled cops and battles between locals and companies seeking to profit from the land – as well as potential touch of the supernatural – there’s more than a passing similarity between this and the atmospheric and engrossing Central Otago-set One Lane Bridge (here Waikato’s Te Aroha doubles for the fictional Mt. Affinity). It appears hinterland-set Aotearoa-noir seems to be the new “cinema of unease” for our nation now.

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Acushla-Tara Kupe and Richard Flood star as Diana Huia and Theo Richter in The Gone, a gritty murder-mystery television series partially shot in Te Aroha.

However, despite a touch of narrative déjà vu, writers Michael Bennett (Kaitangata Twitch, Vegas) and Anna McPartlin (Holby City) ensure there’s plenty of intrigue and the whole Irish-Aotearoa collaboration doesn’t feel forced.

Kudos also to the casting director for assembling such an impressive ensemble. As well as Game of Thrones’ Fairley and Grey’s Anatomy’s Flood, there’s also expansive roles for Kiwi veterans like Manu Bennett (Muru), Matt Whelan (Go Girls), Wayne Hapi (The Dark Horse) and Vanessa Rare (Shortland Street).

But, in the same way that One Lane has been a terrific showcase for Dominic Ona-Ariki, The Gone could well propel the impressive Kupe (Under the Vines) to stardom.

The Gone is now available to stream on TVNZ+. It is also screening weekly as double episodes on Sundays from 8.30pm on TVNZ1.