It takes quite a lot to get me excited about a Netflix trailer. The giant platform is undoubtedly one of the biggest and best streamers on the market, but that status means that it does slightly churn out content, including myriad teasers and first looks.
So, when I say that Black Rabbit‘s trailer is about as exciting a trailer as I’ve seen from Netflix all year, you can take it on trust that there’s a lot to like about it. This thriller series will hit Netflix on 18 September, and I think it could be something really special, not least because of the two actors who seem to be sharing the lead roles.
It’s Jude Law and Jason Bateman heading up the bill, and they’re both providing something pretty raw and realistic. Law plays Jake Friedkin, a buttoned-down businessman struggling to keep his restaurant and bar afloat in the cut-throat world of New York hospitality. His brother Vince is played by Bateman, and is far screwier, with some heavy debts on his shoulders.
When Vince comes back into the fold, seemingly to help run the business, it quickly becomes clear that he actually needs Jake to bail him out of some massive trouble. He’s up to his eyes in debt, and those payments are starting to get called in – suddenly, the Black Rabbit (that family restaurant) is up as collateral.
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From there, it looks like this will go from a family drama to an out-and-out thriller, as Vince and Jake start to get desperate in their attempts to jink out of trouble and get back to profitability. There are quick glimpses in the trailer of scenarios that look increasingly threatening, and I’m pretty sure we’re going to see the brothers get shorter and shorter with each other as the stakes rise and rise.
Bateman’s been on something of a tear recently, and a lot of his work is with Netflix – he’s directed the first two episodes of Black Rabbit, for instance, to add to his acting chops. Jude Law’s a slightly rarer sight on streaming platforms (as fans of Star Wars Skeleton Crew can attest), so it’s great to see them both on one project.
