As Bruce Springsteen wrote, “I catch him when he’s strayin, like any brother would. Man turns his back on his family, well he just ain’t no good.” These lyrics perfectly capture the mutually self-destructive relationship between two brothers in the new Netflix limited series, Black Rabbit. Created by Zach Baylin and Kate Susman, the 8 episode drama speaks to fractured partnerships (both business and familial), crippling addictions, and coming face to face with the past. The series is a showcase for the enormous talents of Jude Law and Jason Bateman, who are gifted with two of the most interesting roles of their respective careers.
Jake Friedken (Law) runs a popular New York City restaurant called “The Black Rabbit”. After a glowing review from the New York Times’ top food critic, the eatery reaches new levels of respectability and exposure. Jake celebrates with his star chef, Roxie (Amaka Okafor) and their staff, announcing he is to open another restaurant at the Four Seasons. Life seems good for Jake, but his smiles and good cheer will turn to stressful frowns as an avalanche of professional and personal problems encompass his every moment.
Along with his star bartender, Anna (Abbey Lee), abruptly quitting (after an incident that will test Jake’s moral fiber), his estranged brother Vince (Bateman) comes back to town. The two used to be partners in the titular restaurant (named after their short-lived rock band) until everything went to Hell once Vince’s addictions caused Jake to buy out his brother’s share, thus removing him from the business. Where Jake made something of himself, Vince lived the life of an addict, scamming his way to the next payday and burning through every penny.
On the run after a particularly gnarly incident that opens the series with a bang, Vince needs to hide out and make some serious money. Not long in the Big Apple, he discovers his past lies waiting. Junior (Forrest Webber) and Babbitt (Chris Coy) are tipped to his presence and remind him that he is into their boss for 140 grand. Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur is stunning as mobster Joe Mancuso, who is also Junior’s not-so-loving father. There is a balance of tenderness and danger to Kostur’s performance. Mancuso knew Jake and Vince’s parents. As he tells Jake he resembles his mother, there is a smile and a moment of remembrance to perhaps a better time; a time when everything wasn’t so askew. Moments later, he gives Jake a harsh reminder of who is the true boss. Mancuso is another feather in the already-impressive acting cap of Troy Kotsur.
Both brothers come under the dangerous thumb of Mancuso, as Jake refuses to turn his back on his blood.
Black Rabbit immediately sets (and maintains) a striking and somber visual tone that reflects the dark clouds of deceit, regret, and impending doom that loom over the Friedken brothers’ lives. Cinematographers Peter Konczal and Igor Martinovic shoot the series with dimly lit rooms and shadowy corners. Their shaded lighting style gives weight to the sometimes Shakespearean drama and earns the occasional comparison to the work of the legendary camera stylist Gordon Willis. A great deal of modern filmmakers shoot on digital, using only natural light. This has caused an epidemic of the indistinguishable image. Filmmakers seem to be losing the desire or ability to light their images, making every shot look the same. It is a pleasure to witness how Konczal and Martinovic use their purposeful lighting to enhance mood while the series’ directors (Bateman, Ben Seamanoff, Jed Kurzel, and Laura Linney) use the NYC streets and cityscapes to good effect.
While Vince has long been on the opposite side of moral, Jake is far from clean. The scripts for each episode subtly reveal the character’s slide into financial dishonesty and a cowardice towards keeping his employees safe; a realization that startles him. Jake knows right from wrong (it is why he had to remove his brother from his share of the restaurant) but he finds himself in a downward spiral of his own making. Jude Law hasn’t found himself with a role this strong in some time. While the actor has certainly found challenging parts in serious dramas, Law never really found a Hollywood that knew what to do with his talents, as they too often focused on making him a handsome leading man. As William Hurt once said about his own talents, “I am a character actor trapped in a leading man’s body.” In the best way, Law “suffers” the same affliction. In Jake, he finds a role where he can use every tool in his skill set. His immense charm, vulnerability, repressed anger, and many levels of emotional intensity are on full display in one of the best performances of his career.
Jason Bateman goes for the polar opposite of what one expects from the actor. Vince has long hair, a scruffy beard, and a bad attitude. Turning his signature charm into a hard edge, Bateman does fine work. The actor allows the soul in Vince to come through during moments of genuine love and affection for his brother. Perhaps that could be the character deceiving us or Vince is genuinely working hard to be a better person. Whatever the answer, Bateman is fully committed to his portrayal and the audience will find sympathy for this broken man. This is his “Johnny Boy” from Mean Streets, only Vince just might be searching for redemption. The Friedken brothers are human frailty personified.
Black Rabbit is more than a standard good brother/bad brother crime drama. This is a piece about loyalty. We see it in the fractured bond between the Friedken brothers and the growing divide between Jake and his chef/business partner Roxie. It can be found in the budding (but dangerous) relationship between Jake and interior designer Estelle (Cleopatra Coleman) that could crumble future business dealings. There is the problem with bartender Anna and how she no longer feels safe at work because of the incident (which shall not be revealed here) and, in the series’ most interesting arc, between Junior and his father, where he tries too hard to earn respect from his poppa. The writing on this show is an absolute pleasure. Nothing feels manipulative and every plot point stays true to the well-crafted characters.
Anchored by stellar performances from Law and Bateman, this riveting series is an intense and intriguing character study full of rich moral platitudes and nail-biting dramatic tension.
Black Rabbit
Series Creators Zach Baylin and Kate Susman
Series Writers Zach Baylin, Kate Susman, Andrew Hinderaker, Stacy Osei-Kuffor, Carlos Rios,
Series Directors Jason Bateman, Ben Seamanoff, Jed Kurzel, and Laura Linney
Series Cast Jude Law, Jason Bateman, Troy Kotsur, Abbey Lee, Forrest Weber, Chris Coy, Amaka Okafor, Cleopatra Coleman, Sarah Gubbins
Executive Producers Zach Baylin, Kate Susman, Jude Law, Jason Bateman, Ben Jackson, Michael Costigan, Andrew Hinderaker, Zac Frognowski, Justin Levy, David Bernon, Erica Kay
TV-MA, Netflix, Aggregate Films, Automatik Entertainment, Riff Raff Entertainment
