Netflix has carved out a reputation for producing must-watch prestige limited series, with recent standouts including Adolescence, American Primeval, Zero Day, and Sirens. The streamer has also just teased a new thriller, starring Jason Bateman and Jude Law, that looks certain to be the latest addition to that list when it drops this fall.
Bateman and Law are leading the cast of Black Rabbit, a high-stakes crime drama that dives into the seductive yet dark world of New York City nightlife. It has eight episodes, premieres on September 18, and based on what we know so far, it’s got all the ingredients of a can’t-miss-binge — from brotherly rivalry to buried secrets and the kind of slow-burn tension that fans of gritty storytelling along the lines of Ozark are sure to eat up.
At the center of Black Rabbit are two brothers, Vince (Bateman) and Jake Friedkin (Law), who built one of Manhattan’s hottest restaurants from the ground up. Jake is the confident and charming front man, while Vince is quieter and more guarded. But when Vince unexpectedly returns to help run the business, old tensions come back to the surface.
The sense I get from what follows is that a kind of psychological tug-of-war will push both of the brothers as well as their business empire into dangerous territory. As Bateman puts it, this is the story of two people who love each other but don’t mesh. “Everybody’s either got a sibling, or a friendship where you love being with one another, but it’s kind of dangerous,” he told Netflix’s Tudum.
Black Rabbit’s creators include Zach Baylin, who got an Oscar nod for his King Richard screenplay, as well as Kate Susman, with Bateman directing the first two episodes. And speaking of Ozark, which I referenced above, here’s a reunion that fans will appreciate: Laura Linney also steps behind the camera to direct episodes three and four of Black Rabbit.
The restaurant at the heart of the show, meanwhile, is more than a backdrop; it’s a symbol of identity, ambition, and control. According to Baylin, he and Susman were fascinated by the idea of a restaurant as a city’s emotional crossroads: “A meeting place,” in other words, “for all different kinds of people and a second home to others,” as they explained it to Netflix
From the story’s noir atmosphere to the show’s talent both in front of and behind the camera, Black Rabbit promises the kind of streaming experience that you can never have too much of. The series is part psychological thriller and part family drama, a combination that I feel pretty confident will keep viewers like me hooked from start to finish. And you can check out more first-look images below.
