It is has been a while since there has been a review on this platform. No better way to make a reintroduction than to write about a marvelous show on HBO titled "Barry". This is a no spoilers review series and the goal is to make you want to watch the series without ruining the experience for you. I will take it away by jumping into my thoughts on the series.
The way this show starts in season 1, it is abrupt to say the least. I felt like I was thrown into a new world within a video game. We start off with Barry being a trained contract killer. Over the course of the series, you will understand how he got into that field of work and what it does to his ability to relate to other people. In the midst of that, our titular character stumbles upon a passion that supersedes his current occupation. This creates the primary conflict for Barry and the extremes he goes to get to follow his dream.
Bill Hader is such an artisan in rare form on this show. Barry is a comedy with dark and dramatic elements. This requires such a range from the title character to go between genres seamlessly. It has been so good, Hader has won two Emmy awards due to his performance here. That is how good he has been. A lead actor does not win without a solid cast. Stephen Root, Anthony Carrigan, and Henry Wrinkler are standouts in the supporting ensemble. Their scenes with Bill are memorable and you can see the on-screen chemistry truly shine. You will laugh whenever you see one of the three actors and that offsets the murderous nature of the protagonist.
I love great action sequences and fight scenes in television. A problem is when it comes to TV, you don't always get action scenes with authenticity and top notch energy. The realism in this show is based around Hader's commitment to doing as many scenes that his body allows. I can safely say, the show has a good way of pushing the tempo when needed. We get thrills that force you to the edge of your seat and moments where your heart is shattered to bits. I sadly binged the two seasons in under a week so my mind was scrambled a bit. Please be responsible to give yourself time to process each episode. This show forces you to confront topics like ethics/morality/character so much you might question if you are a good person when this binge is over. I strongly recommend this show to people who love solid acting and screenwriting. Also, for the aspiring actors, please use this as a great frame of reference on how to get into character. I won't spoil it for you but I picked up some concepts that will help me in your acting career.
You can catch Seasons 1 and 2 of Barry on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and HBO Now. Season 3 hasn't been announced on when it will be released but when it is, we will do our best to let you know!