Makers:
Dennis LehaneCamera:
Natalie KingstonMuziek:
MogwaiActeurs:
Taron Egerton, Ray Liotta, Greg Kinnear, Jake McLaughlin, Paul Walter Hauser, Robyn Malcolm, Lawrence Turner, Cecilia Leal, Christopher B. Duncan (meer)Streaming (1)
Afleveringen(6)
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Pilot (E01)
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We Are Coming, Father Abraham (E02)
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Hand to Mouth (E03)
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WhatsHerName (E04)
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The Place I Lie (E05)
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You Promised (E06)
Samenvattingen(1)
As Jimmy Keene begins a 10-year prison sentence, he gets an incredible offer: If he can elicit a confession from suspected killer Larry Hall, Jimmy will be freed. Completing this mission becomes the challenge of a lifetime. (Apple TV+)
Recensie (4)
Finally, a truly gripping detective series, even if the premise doesn’t initially seem groundbreaking. What really stands out are the performances of the main actors — Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, and especially Ray Liotta in a supporting role, delivering a fantastic farewell to acting. When a series keeps me glued to every minute, not wanting to miss a thing, it’s a sign that someone put serious effort into the script. It doesn’t matter that the trope has been done before. This six-part psychological thriller is flawless!
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The hit series of the summer and a huge success for Apple. With most series I grumble about the unnecessary length (shortening episodes from eight to six etc.), but with Black Bird I found six episodes to be insufficient, because it is great to watch and there were so many interesting storylines that had to be rushed because of the shorter length, which is a shame because I wanted a hell of a lot more and that's the only reason why I’m not giving it a full score. Black Bird has a very appealing plot about a drug dealer who is going to serve a 10 year sentence, but gets an interesting offer from the FBI. He's moved to the toughest maximum security prison to get a confession from a serial killer and find out where he buried the women's bodies, because there’s a risk of him getting out, and the reward is freedom. There are two storylines here. One a detective storyline where two likeable detectives search for dead girls (some people say it evokes True Detective, but I see this as far superior). In the other storyline we are in a prison where Taron Egerton (who has fucking grown up since Kingsman and has matured into a major league actor) tries to subtly befriend Paul Walter Hauser (discovery of the year! The guy gives the performance of a lifetime, a masterful performance that will give you chills, his creepy voice will wake you up from your dreams and give you nightmares!). The creators really make do here with two perfect actors, a gritty setting, great dialogue and musings worthy of reflection, perfect technical aspects, it's filmed beautifully and there's a lot of disturbing, uncomfortable and chilling atmosphere that has a strong Mindhunter vibe. I see Mindhunter as a quintessential detective series, which has taken my film knowledge much higher and made watching Black Bird even more enjoyable. The highlight for me were episodes 3 and 4 that featured one ultra brutal prison riot – one of the best I've seen – and also strong flashbacks of both protagonists, especially Larry – digging graves, carnage!!! It's a series that had me glued to my seat, and every week I was incredibly excited for the next episode, which is why I'm sorry it didn't build up in the finale in the style I expected. Minor spoiler alert: I definitely would have welcomed an extra episode set in the trial. I can imagine a tense court battle with Larry. I was looking forward to this, but in the end only about five minutes were devoted to it, too bad. I would have welcomed another episode in the prison where it uncomfortably led to another riot, I was kind of hoping for a final showdown on all sides. The toughest prison in the world after all, but there's not much on gangs and murder or bullying as there's no time left. And also, I wouldn't be at all angry if each episode was dedicated to one dead girl, I believe it might have boosted the emotions, then we could be talking about the best series ever, but still a great show. 85%.
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Black Bird has almost zero action, but it has a 100% chilling atmosphere - and this, together with the performances, makes the series a stifling and uncomfortable experience that gives you the feeling that something is always happening, even though in retrospect not much actually does. It's a hard-hitting slow-burn conversational drama between the superb and mature Taron Egerton and the fanatically convincing Paul Walter Hauser, whom I remember from Kingdom and Richard Jewell – this guy is just destined for weird roles, he's incredibly obnoxious and believable in his character, and it all makes the whole experience even more intense. The end result, then, is a cleverly-concluded series based on true events that is admittedly a bit drawn out in places, but the build-up to the emotional finale saves it rather well and leaves you feeling both good and disgusted overall. For me, a sort of golden four-star that pleased me, but at the same time I kind of suspect that there was something missing to a full score and that it may have been a bit too talky.
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Apple TV truly picks luxurious projects for its streaming platform. It's no different with its latest addition to the crime genre, Black Bird. I had no idea the film was so heavily based on true events. The entire plot, revolving around a mobster who agrees to an FBI offer to be transferred to a prison for the worst criminals to learn from a serial killer where he buried the bodies of young girls, is a damn excellent premise for a series! And when you read that Dennis Lehane is behind the project, your expectations skyrocket. The acting is grandiose, especially the two main leads shine! But what Paul Walter Hauser does is truly indescribable! I haven’t seen a portrayal of a serial killer this good on screen since Fincher's Se7en (and that was almost 30 years ago). The final two episodes, with their emotionally charged dialogues, completely knocked me out! Without a doubt, one of the series of the year. You must see this! For me, it’s a 9/10.
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