---
title: "Black Rabbit"
year: 2025
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/black-rabbit"
fi1m_id: "black-rabbit"
imdb_id: "tt23055142"
tmdb_id: 249039
wikidata_id: "Q125620289"
fi1m_score: 63
critics_score: 58
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-11"
updated: "2026-09-17T10:29:18.013208+00:00"
region: "NZ"
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 Rabbit (2025)

Created by Zach Baylin, Kate Susman · OFLC 16 · Drama, Crime

## Identity

Black Rabbit

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/black-rabbit
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** black-rabbit
- **IMDb ID:** tt23055142
- **TMDB ID:** 249039
- **Wikidata ID:** Q125620289
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23055142/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/249039, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q125620289

**Fi1m score: 63** · Critics 58 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Eight episodes is a long time to spend wishing two brothers would make one sensible decision

> Jason Bateman and Jude Law are convincing as brothers who keep making things worse. Their performances justify a look at this uneven crime drama, but repetitive plotting makes eight episodes feel generous.

## Synopsis

In New York’s restaurant and nightlife scene, Jake Friedken (Jude Law) and his brother Vince (Jason Bateman) find family loyalty difficult to separate from dependency. Addiction and a succession of bad decisions put pressure on their relationship, drawing the pair into a crime story in which neither can treat the other’s troubles as a separate concern. The eight-part drama follows the brothers through the overlapping pressures of family, business and crime. Troy Kotsur plays Joe Mancuso, with Abbey Lee as Anna, Odessa Young as Gen and Chris Coy as Babbitt.

## Review

The useful question in *Black Rabbit* is why these brothers keep accepting trouble from one another. Across eight episodes, the answer involves addiction, dependency and the familiar difficulty of abandoning family, even when family keeps making things worse. We found it a decent, uneven crime drama, carried by Jason Bateman and Jude Law through stretches the writing has not earned. It is worth considering for their performances, provided patience with self-destructive men comes readily.

Bateman plays Vince Friedken, with Law as Jake, and their chemistry does much of the work that the writing leaves unfinished. Vince is the sort of likeable disaster whose next mistake seems entirely avoidable until his charm gets to work. We wanted Jake to stop making allowances for him, and were surprised by how much we cared. Bateman gives Jake enough reason to stay involved, while Law makes that continued attachment convincing.

The New York restaurant and nightlife setting supplies an interest beyond the next family crisis. Cinematographers Peter Konczal and Igor Martinović give the city a grubby, restless quality that makes the brothers’ troubles feel at home there. Alex DiGerlando’s production design helps the restaurant milieu feel inhabited rather than merely supplied as a fashionable backdrop. There is enough life in these surroundings to suggest a broader drama, and sometimes we wished the series would pay more attention to it.

Zach Baylin and Kate Susman are among the credited writers, and the scripts are less persuasive when they have to keep the story moving. Too often, a fresh mistake supplies movement without telling us anything further about the person making it. The brothers’ dependency explains a good deal, but using it repeatedly does not make each escalation equally interesting. Supporting characters also struggle for definition, leaving the leads to carry more than even this pairing can manage.

That repetition is particularly costly over eight episodes. Editors Vikash Patel, Kyle Reiter and Cedric Nairn-Smith have an escalating plot to organise, but the series still takes too long to establish its pace and spends too much time renewing familiar problems. Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans’s score contributes to the anxiety, though there is already plenty supplied by the brothers. We grew tired of the mounting trouble because so much of it came from decisions whose foolishness was already clear.

Troy Kotsur, as Joe Mancuso, is a welcome exception to the thinness around the brothers, giving the supporting cast some force of its own. Justin Kurzel’s direction of the final two episodes also gives the thriller a firmer grip, without curing the slackness that precedes them. The tighter direction makes the danger easier to care about. More of that urgency earlier would have helped.

The better family crime dramas let us understand a terrible choice before asking us to sit through its consequences. Here, the acting provides that understanding more reliably than the scripts, which too often fall back on the same failings. Try it for Bateman and Law if difficult siblings are your sort of television; expect to wish somebody had cut an episode or two.

*Fi1m score 63, published 11 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean positive on Black Rabbit, though the consensus is sharply divided. Praise centres on Jude Law and Jason Bateman as troubled brothers, with their chemistry giving the crime drama its emotional force. Admirers find the story of addiction, codependency and family dysfunction tense and involving, even when it becomes punishing. Bateman draws particular praise from The Telegraph, which finds him compelling as the likeable disaster of the pair.

The disagreement is over whether the brothers’ downward spiral earns sustained attention. Detractors find them thinly drawn and difficult to care about, and see the accumulating misery as exhausting rather than moving. Structure also divides critics: The Times calls it daring, while NME finds it awkward despite admiring the performances and family drama. Even The Hollywood Reporter’s strongly negative assessment makes exceptions for Troy Kotsur’s supporting performance and the tense direction of the final two episodes.

## Straight answers

**Is Black Rabbit worth watching?**

*Black Rabbit* is worth a look for Jude Law and Jason Bateman as brothers who keep making things worse, and we scored it 63. The performances carry an uneven crime drama whose plotting repeats itself, so eight episodes feel generous. Try it if self-destructive siblings are your sort of television.

**How long is Black Rabbit, and what is it rated?**

*Black Rabbit* is rated 16 by the OFLC in New Zealand. It is a drama and crime series.

**Where can I watch Black Rabbit in New Zealand?**

*Black Rabbit* is streaming on Netflix in New Zealand. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Black Rabbit, and is it suitable for children?**

*Black Rabbit* is a UK 15 crime drama built around addiction, dependency and mounting trouble, so it is not suitable for children. Our review found the anxiety comes more from the brothers' foolish decisions than from set-piece violence. Teenagers over fifteen and adults who can tolerate watching men fail repeatedly are the intended audience.

**How does Black Rabbit compare to The Long Good Friday?**

*Black Rabbit* stretches a family crime story across eight episodes, while [*The Long Good Friday*](https://film.one/film/the-long-good-friday) tells a criminal's collapse in a single, tighter film. The earlier film is the better of the two, funnier and more frightening, with more to say about ambition and money. Choose the series for Bateman and Law, the film for Bob Hoskins.

**What should I watch after Black Rabbit?**

After *Black Rabbit*, try [*The Long Good Friday*](https://film.one/film/the-long-good-friday) (1980, Fi1m 88): A criminal’s business ambitions collide with trouble he cannot bully into submission. Then [*Animal Kingdom*](https://film.one/film/animal-kingdom) (2010, Fi1m 84): A colder Australian family crime drama, with relatives who make safety impossible; and [*The Bear*](https://film.one/film/the-bear) (2022, Fi1m 78): More restaurant pressure, with greater attention to the people doing the work.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **Vulture** (85/100, inferred): The review highlights the sublime brother act between Jason Bateman and Jude Law as the core strength, with their chemistry anchoring the anxiety-inducing story of codependency, addiction, and family dysfunction. It calls the series riveting and devastating with mercurial performances amid a dense, escalating plot. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/black-rabbit-jason-bateman-jude-law-netflix-series-review.html)
- **The Telegraph**, Anita Singh (4/5): While Law is fine, Bateman excels as the likeable disaster brother in this salty crime saga that builds from a restaurant drama into something more engaging, worth watching. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/black-rabbit-netflix-review/)
- **IndieWire**, Ben Travers (C-): The critic finds the limited series an unbearably bleak Netflix thriller tracking two brothers on a dismal downward spiral of their own designs. It praises the dedicated cast and scurrying, seamy vision of New York City but calls the story exhausting misery for the sake of misery. [Read](https://indiewire.com/criticism/shows/black-rabbit-review-jason-bateman-netflix-series-1235149388)
- **Variety**, Alison Herman (35/100, inferred): The critic finds the Netflix series draggy and dated overall, struggling to sustain interest across eight episodes despite its New York nightlife setting and restaurant milieu. The unpleasant, unrepentant brother protagonists (and the lack of charm or investment in them) are singled out as a core flaw that hinders engagement. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/black-rabbit-review-jude-law-jason-bateman-1236515363/)
- **The Guardian** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds it almost impossible to care about the lead characters, who are poorly sketched or stupid, making the series a relentlessly cheerless watch despite some action. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/sep/18/black-rabbit-review-its-almost-impossible-to-care-about-jude-law-and-jason-bateman-in-this-tv-misery)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Daniel Fienberg (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the series a blandly bleak antihero drama mixing elements of The Bear, Uncut Gems and Ozark, with unlikable bumbling brothers, clichéd plotting and weak character development. Praise goes to the tense, well-directed final two episodes by Kurzel and a strong supporting turn from Troy Kotsur. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/black-rabbit-review-jude-law-jason-bateman-netflix-1236369814/)
- **The Times**, Tim Glanfield (★★★★☆): Law and Bateman excel in this crime drama that mixes Ozark and The Bear elements with strong performances and a daring structure. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/black-rabbit-forget-the-bear-review-jude-law-finds-restaurant-chaos-is-criminal-nwr88gn2m)
- **NME**, Paul Bradshaw (4/5): The critic praises the gritty thriller with strong performances from Jude Law and Jason Bateman as troubled brothers, noting its character work and thriller elements despite a slow start and awkward structure. They single out the family drama and the actors' performances for praise. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/black-rabbit-review-jude-law-jason-bateman-netflix-3892952)
- **Den of Geek**, Erin Qualey (75/100, inferred): The critic compares the series to Uncut Gems for its stress-inducing examination of behavioral addictions and co-dependency between the brothers, noting it evokes even more anxiety over a longer runtime. It praises the electric chemistry between Law and Bateman and the emotional payoff in the coda despite the despair. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/netflix-black-rabbit-more-stressful-uncut-gems/)
- **Collider**, Maggie Lovitt (7/10): The review highlights the gripping narrative and standout performances by Law and Bateman as brothers in a dark cautionary tale, praising the ensemble and direction, while noting some flaws in underdeveloped characters and pacing demands. [Read](https://collider.com/black-rabbit-netflix-review-jude-law-jason-bateman/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Zach Baylin, Kate Susman
- **Creator:** Zach Baylin, Kate Susman
- **Director:** Justin Kurzel, Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Ben Semanoff
- **Writer:** Zach Baylin, Kate Susman, Andrew Hinderaker, Sarah Gubbins, Carlos Rios, Stacy Osei-Kuffour
- **Cinematography:** Peter Konczal, Igor Martinović
- **Editor:** Vikash Patel, Cedric Nairn-Smith, Kyle Reiter
- **Music:** Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans
- **Production design:** Alex DiGerlando
- **Costume design:** Amy Westcott
- **Producer:** Carlos Rios
- **Cast:** Jason Bateman as Vince Friedken; Jude Law as Jake Friedken; Chris Coy as Babbitt; Troy Kotsur as Joe Mancuso; Abbey Lee as Anna; Odessa Young as Gen; Robin de Jesús as Tony; Cleopatra Coleman as Estelle
- **Certificate (OFLC):** 16
- **Release (New Zealand):** 18 September 2025
- **Genres:** Drama, Crime
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j_IFlmFRvU

## Where to watch in New Zealand

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-09-11.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead* (2007): Family resentment and financial panic turn two brothers into dangerous partners
- *Pusher* (1996): For another urban crime story in which each attempted fix creates more trouble
- *The Long Good Friday* (1980), Fi1m 88: A criminal’s business ambitions collide with trouble he cannot bully into submission — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-long-good-friday.md)
- *Animal Kingdom* (2010), Fi1m 84: A colder Australian family crime drama, with relatives who make safety impossible — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/animal-kingdom.md)
- *The Bear* (2022), Fi1m 78: More restaurant pressure, with greater attention to the people doing the work — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-bear.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/black-rabbit