Detective Sergeant Andrea “Andie” Whitford and her family arrive in the rural town of Brokenridge, nestled in Victoria’s High Country, seeking a fresh start after leaving the city. Almost immediately, Andie is thrown into a bewildering case when she discovers an abandoned car in the wilderness, followed by the body of a murdered hiker, signaling that this seemingly quiet landscape is hiding darker secrets.
As Andie delves deeper, she learns that at least five people have vanished across the rugged forest in recent months. The town’s retired sergeant, Sam Dyson, whom she replaces, is reluctant to accept this as anything but unfortunate mishaps—up here, disappearances are simply part of life—but Andie’s urban detective instincts recognize an unsettling pattern.
Amid the mounting mystery, Andie is compelled to confront not just the case, but her own identity. Growing up disconnected from her Aboriginal heritage, she encounters an elder’s words—”If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are”—which echo throughout her investigation and personal journey as she grapples with her fragmented sense of belonging.
The town’s small community offers more suspects than allies. A local psychic, Damien Stark, whose visions once led to the discovery of a child’s body, becomes both an asset and a target of suspicion. Meanwhile, Rose De Vigny, an enigmatic artist, appears friendly but harbors secrets, further complicating Andie’s search for truth.
Set against the majestic yet foreboding backdrop of the Victorian Alps—filmed around Jamieson and other seldom-screened alpine locations—High Country uses the landscape almost as a character in itself, its towering forests and misty valleys mirroring the town’s interpersonal shadows and buried histories.
While the narrative follows familiar beats of crime and mystery, critics praise Leah Purcell’s performance as Andie—her quiet strength and nuanced portrayal giving depth to the series. Despite some genre predictability, the show’s atmosphere, sense of place, and thematic focus on identity and community elevate it above the ordinary crime thriller
