BLACK RABBIT
Starring: Jason Bateman, Jude Law, Cleopatra Coleman, Sope Dirisu, Amaka Okafor, and Troy Kotsur
Creators: Zach Baylin and Kate Susman
BODE
I never got into Ozark like a lot of people did. Despite being filled with talent, I found that show to be half-baked in its characterization and plotting. Its deadly serious tone and plodding pace didn’t help either. My thoughts on Black Rabbit, which shares much of Ozark’s creative DNA, are similar. Jason Bateman and Jude Law have an intriguing dynamic, and it’s tense in the right moments (especially in the last few episodes). But undercooked characters, time-padding subplots, and a near-humourless vibe keep this miniseries from reaching its full potential. It ultimately left me thinking that it should be better than it really is.
QUENTIN
Black Rabbit is enjoyable enough for fans of bleak crime dramas, mostly due to Jude Law and Jason Bateman, but it would have been so much better had it focused on one plotline. The true story on which it is loosely based, about a scandal at a high-end restaurant, would have been compelling on its own; likewise, had it focused solely on the good-brother-helps-bad-brother storyline, all good there too. There is plenty to mine from either of those plotlines; However, by mashing them together, neither is truly developed as well as it should be. Ultimately, we’re left with a see-what-sticks hybrid of Ozark, The Bear, and Rounders.
