Black Rabbit Series Review
Black Rabbit is an American crime thriller television miniseries created by Zach Baylin and Kate Susman for Netflix. The show starring Jude Law and Jason Bateman premiered on 18 September 2025.
The story follows a rising star restaurateur in New York City whose fragile empire starts cracking at the seams, when his chaotic brother enters back into life. Outstanding loans send the brothers into a rabbit hole of ruthless loan-sharks and desperate measures which threaten everything…
The Good
Jude Law… one of the reasons for putting this on my list was because he was in it… Couple this with Jason Bateman another fave and together the two anchor the show’s emotional tension via the estranged brothers Vince and Jake Friedken. Their dysfunctional family dynamics reminded me of The Gentlemen and Ozark.
Jason Bateman also directed the first two episodes, which gave it a nuance and consistency in its slow burn build-up, to its layered reveals and morally complex dilemmas. Once you are invested in the show, you want to see how things get resolved, with the flawed and imperfect characters trying to play the hand they have been dealt and yet never seem to learn.
Visually, the show has a noir-ish aesthetic with moody lighting giving off a gritty and lived in feel of New York City..
An interesting aside was seeing Troy Kotsur who played First Speaker Preem Palver in Season 3 of Foundation now playing the mobster loan shark Joe Mancuso.
The Bad
The slow burn pacing can drive away impatient viewers before things get interesting and despite the high stakes in the plot, middle episodes still come across as sluggish, following subplots which don’t add much value, taking away from the central sibling drama and action revolving around them.
The storytelling isn’t linear and it can get confusing to reconcile the opening scene which then goes back to earlier time and series unfolds in flashbacks and back stories till it gets to the present.
Black Rabbit’s overarching bleakness ends up numbing and you stop feeling empathy towards the character’s reckless actions as they repeatedly make questionable choices,, at times unprovoked, architects of their own misery.
The Ugly
Because the series rarely offers true release or moments of emotional redemption, the weight of the narrative can feel too bottomless… making it a rather grim watch.
Characters with power and wealth constantly abuse those without, with next to no repercussions, while those who should know better or do better, either become complicit in their silence or inaction or cut deals for themselves…
Final Thoughts
Black Rabbit is a bold and brooding crime drama with a character-driven narrative that thrives on atmosphere and star power, but stumbles about its purpose and pacing.
The Netflix miniseries is loosely based around the controversies that faced the Spotted Pig a gastropub in the West Village in Manhattan in New York City owned by Ken Friedman.
Have you watched Black Rabbit is it something you would watch?
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