Jude Law.
Credit: Netflix
‘Black Rabbit’ feels like that dish in which the ingredients ought to churn out something delicious, but as the recipe unravels all we are left with is a bitter taste of what could have been.
A popular restaurateur, Jake Friedkin (Jude Law) allows his troublesome brother Vince (Jason Bateman) back into his life and his restaurant, the Black Rabbit, to help him — only to find himself embroiled in the mess created by Vince.
Perhaps the makers intended to show the strong bond between the brothers, but what we end up getting is a slow, stale series. Given the setting and cast, one could imagine them being used better, but the show has too many smaller plots and sub plots and characters which honestly take a toll on the viewer.
As Jake aims to expand his empire, he finds himself stuck paying off the loan his brother took, even as he struggles to hide his own misdemeanours. Throw in a power struggle with his partners, dead staff, and an old family friend-cum-gangster who is now behind the brothers to repay the debt and what you are left with are eight episodes that drain you.
The show is largely predictable and feels bland. A restaurant that has a VIP room and that caters to the who’s who is bound to have some secrets, but all we see are poor attempts to dramatise the said secrets.
Ultimately, if one does survive the show, the question to ask is what exactly did the makers want to show? A troubled family, sibling love, a complicated business or something else, for the audience is probably going to leave with a bitter taste after
it’s over.