Black Rabbit Netflix Review: Jude Law and Jason Bateman Bring Family Tension and Crime to the Table
Why I Started Watching Black Rabbit
Black Rabbit Netflix Review: this one didn’t come from a trailer binge or a long waitlist. Black Rabbit popped up on my Netflix homepage and the cast alone pulled me in. Jude Law and Jason Bateman, that’s a duo you don’t ignore. With actors of that calibre, I figured there was no way they’d sign on to a trash script. Curiosity won, and I hit play.
First Impressions of the Brothers’ World
The show opens by showing us the contrast between the Friedken brothers. Jake (Jude Law) is a restaurateur seemingly living his best life. He’s hustling for a New York Times food critic review that could take his restaurant to the next level, balancing that with being a part of his son’s life and paying tuition fees. On the surface, he’s successful and grounded.
Vince (Jason Bateman) couldn’t be more different. A gambling addict with debt collectors on his back, he blows into Jake’s carefully built life like a hurricane.
In the first episode, we flash back to see how deep Vince’s mess runs, a botched deal in a car park, a hit-and-run, a $140k debt, and a plan to cover it by banking on the sale of their late mother’s house. Except the house sale collapses, thanks to electrical issues, and his promises fall apart.
The History of Black Rabbit
It’s not just Jake’s restaurant. Flashbacks reveal it was Vince who first saw the building, pitched the idea, and gave it the name Black Rabbit. The brothers were even in a band with their circle of friends, who still orbit the restaurant. That shared history makes the fallout hit harder.
Jake’s striving to move beyond the bar into a Four Seasons-level space. Vince just sees the shiny surface and assumes his brother is rolling in cash when really, Jake is stretched thin and one step away from overextending.
How Vince’s Spiral Threatens Everything
Episode two drives the tension higher. Vince loses what little money he has trying to gamble his way out of debt. His creditors, a family-run racket with a deaf patriarch who communicates through sign language, cut off his finger as a warning.
Then Jake gets dragged in, agreeing to pay $20k a week to keep Vince alive and protect the restaurant.
What’s fascinating here is how family loyalty is both a blessing and a curse. Jake clearly doesn’t deserve to pay for Vince’s mess, but he’s a stand-up guy, and that love for his brother could ruin him. The line from the debt collector’s father lands hard: we can’t choose our family.
The Vibe: Ozark, Bloodline, and Family Meltdowns
Watching Jason Bateman in this role immediately reminded me of Ozark. There, Bateman’s character was pulled into laundering money because of someone else’s bad choices.
Here, Vince’s gambling addiction threatens to drag Jake into a crime spiral he doesn’t want. The family dynamic also brings echoes of Bloodline, with its theme of one sibling’s mess destabilising the whole family.
My First Takeaway After Two Episodes
After just two episodes, Black Rabbit feels tense, personal, and messy in the best way. I’m rooting for Jake to succeed, but Vince’s chaos feels like an unstoppable storm.
This is the kind of show that makes you ask uncomfortable questions: how far would you go to save a sibling who constantly ruins everything? When does loyalty cross into self-destruction?
I don’t know yet if the show will lean harder into crime thriller or family drama, but right now it’s got me hooked. And yes, I’ll definitely keep watching to see how the robbery that opened the series ties into all this mess.
Final Thoughts and What’s Next
Black Rabbit is one of those shows that grips you not just because of the crime element, but because of the human element. Everyone knows a “Vince,” someone who brings chaos, yet you can’t quite walk away from them. That tension is what makes it work.
I’ll be updating as the season unfolds. In the meantime, if you’re curious about what else I’ve been watching, check out my September Kdrama Watchlist or my You and Everything Else review.
Disclaimer: This blog is for informational and entertainment purposes only. All copyrights and trademarks for the TV shows, films, and other media referenced are the property of their respective owners. This blog aims to provide original commentary and insights and claims no ownership over third-party content.
2 Comments