--- title: "Black Bird: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/black-bird/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/black-bird" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Black Bird (2022): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 13 reviews: 11 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find Black Bird gripping, and the praise lands almost entirely on the performances. Paul Walter Hauser’s Larry Hall is called chilling and unsettling in review after review, and Ray Liotta’s turn as Big Jim, in his final screen role, is described as tender and heartbreaking. Taron Egerton’s long conversations with Hauser are singled out repeatedly as the series at its best. The script is credited with being pointed and confidently handled, and the tension holds for most reviewers. The reservations cluster on pace. Even the warm reviews concede a slow start, heavy dialogue and a stately rhythm, and several note that the true-crime premise is a familiar one. Variety thinks the series runs longer than its story needs, with predictable turns that blunt the dread, and Vulture goes further, finding it stilted and the ending anticlimactic. Otherwise the spread is narrow: eleven of thirteen reviews are positive, and even the doubters praise the acting. ## The AV Club — Saloni Gajjar Rating A-. 6 July 2022. The review calls the series an engrossing, tense true-crime drama with a pointed script and strong performances. It especially praises Ray Liotta’s tender, evocative performance in his final on-screen role. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/black-bird-review-apple-tv-plus-true-crime-drama-1849140682) ## The Guardian — Lucy Mangan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 8 July 2022. Lucy Mangan calls the series exquisitely pitched and well worth watching despite a slow start. She especially praises Ray Liotta’s heartbreaking performance and the subtle, shifting conversations between Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/jul/08/black-bird-review-taron-egerton-ray-liotta-dennis-lehane-apple-tv) ## The i Paper — Emily Baker Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 8 July 2022. Baker finds the series gripping and intense despite its slow pace and heavy dialogue. She singles out the performances, especially Paul Walter Hauser’s unsettling work and Ray Liotta’s tender final role. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/black-bird-apple-tv-plus-review-taron-egerton-ray-liotta-true-crime-drama-1732762?ico=related_stories) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2026. The review finds the true-crime series tense and confidently made, with its performances elevating the story. It especially praises Paul Walter Hauser’s chilling portrayal and Ray Liotta’s heartbreaking final performance. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/black-bird/) ## Evening Standard — Vicky Jessop Rating 4/5. 7 July 2022. Jessop finds the series gripping and classy, despite its stately pace. She especially praises the performances, singling out Ray Liotta’s barnstorming turn and the chilling scenes with Paul Walter Hauser. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/black-bird-review-apple-tv-taron-egerton-ray-liotta-b1010625.html) ## IndieWire — Kristen Lopez Rating B. 15 July 2022. Lopez finds the episode less forceful than the first two, though the performances remain compelling. She especially praises Paul Walter Hauser’s quietly eerie portrayal of Larry Hall. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/black-bird-season-1-episode-3-review-spoilers-1234740726/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 July 2022. Fienberg finds the series flawed but ultimately worthwhile, with its familiar premise gaining power as it goes. He singles out Paul Walter Hauser’s layered, unsettling performance, alongside strong work from Taron Egerton and Ray Liotta. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/black-bird-review-1235176296/) ## Variety — Daniel D'Addario Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2022. The review finds the series solid but overextended, with its dread and predictable turns limiting its impact. It praises Taron Egerton’s vulnerable, charismatic performance as the element that carries the show. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2022/tv/reviews/black-bird-taron-egerton-ray-liotta-1235310274/) ## Vulture — Roxana Hadadi Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 13 July 2022. Hadadi finds the miniseries stilted, especially in its pacing and anticlimactic ending, though she considers it worthwhile overall. She praises Ray Liotta’s moving, human performance as Big Jim, which grounds the story. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/black-bird-review-ray-liotta.html) ## Collider — Abby Cavenaugh Rating A. 1 July 2022. Cavenaugh praises Black Bird as a distinctive, suspenseful true-crime series, though she notes that some flashbacks feel out of place. She singles out the powerful performances of Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ray Liotta. [Read the review](https://collider.com/black-bird-review-taron-egerton-ray-liotta-apple-tv-plus/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). The critic calls the series expertly handled and a must-watch, praising its performances across the cast. They single out Paul Walter Hauser’s chilling portrayal of Larry Hall and Ray Liotta’s moving final TV role. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/black-bird-review-ray-liotta-3264991) ## Paste — Terry Terrones Rating 9/10. 7 July 2022. Terrones finds the series gripping and engrossing, praising its addictive story and strong lead performances. He especially singles out Taron Egerton’s compelling transformation and the intensity of his scenes with Paul Walter Hauser. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/black-bird/blackbird-review) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 8 July 2022. Herman finds Black Bird worthwhile, despite its pacing and familiar true-crime tropes. She praises its nuanced exploration of how men shape one another, supported by Paul Walter Hauser’s and Ray Liotta’s performances. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2022/07/08/tv/black-bird-apple-tv-plus-review-ray-liotta-taron-egerton) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/black-bird.md