Night Country was inspired by a true morbid mystery

The Alaska setting “seemed perfect for a film noir” as it helped capture the dark despair of a murder mystery set in ice while also highlighting the constant dangers of living in such an environment. The Dyatlov Pass incident, which helped flesh out some of the story surrounding the TSALAL researchers, is still considered an unsolved mystery, although it is the subject of countless research and tested theories. While speculation ranges from unprecedented natural disasters to supernatural causes, the horrific nature of these tragic deaths continues to haunt anyone who learns of them.

Ten hikers, all students, decided to embark on a winter hike on January 23, 1959. Their goal was to cross the Ural Mountains in Russia and continue their hike, but when their sports club had no news of them for weeks, a search party was sent. Of the 10, one student had already turned back due to health problems, and the bodies of the other 9 were found over several weeks, each telling a bizarre and horrific story that could not be explained at first glance .

Although the details of the Dyatlov Pass tragedy require further and in-depth examination, the mystery primarily focuses on the strange position and injuries of the bodies that were found scattered within a defined radius. The group’s tent was found flattened with their belongings intact, although someone was frantically slashing the tent from the inside, as if in a desperate attempt to get out. Injuries found on the bodies included a bitten knuckle, strange fractures and twisted bones, as well as missing body parts like eyes or tongue, which were later found nearby after all the bodies were recovered.