Jason Bateman And Jude Law's Netflix Crime Thriller Miniseries Deserves Your Attention

When you think of "Alice in Wonderland," your mind probably doesn't conjure up the words "crime thriller." The adventures described in Lewis Carroll's beloved book are nothing short of odd and surreal, with a big helping of playful whimsy thrown, and that literary world has inspired hundreds of beautiful and macabre reinterpretations, including "Alice: Madness Returns," the survival action-adventure game that thoroughly justifies its twisted nature.

But Netflix's latest show puts its own dark spin on the material. In "Black Rabbit," the subverted guide to "Wonderland" leads the protagonists to the seedy underbelly of New York, which is brimming with unchecked crime. Anyone venturing into such a realm must be a bit reckless to do so, but brothers Jake (Jude Law) and Vince (Jason Bateman) Friedken make such recklessness their brand throughout the series.

Bateman (who helmed the first two episodes in this eight-part limited series) spoke to TUDUM to explain the complicated, unpredictable dynamic shared by the Friedken brothers:

"It's really about these brothers who love each other but don't match — one's a screw-up, and the other is much more buttoned up. Everybody can relate to that. Everybody's either got a sibling, or a friendship where you love being with one another, but it's kind of dangerous; where that person usually gets you in trouble, but they're really exciting to be around."

While Law's Jake is the suave, put-together sibling who owns the titular VIP lounge/restaurant, Bateman's Vince plunges the establishment into chaos the moment he walks through the doors. But is this high-octane crime thriller any good, and does it provide a tumble down the rabbit hole that's worth remembering?

If we judge "Black Rabbit" by standard genre tropes and if they're utilized to competent effect, the series falls short, as it doesn't have anything novel to offer. Also, the limited series, which is almost eight hours long, is atrociously paced, slowing down just for the sake of it instead of steadily building momentum. On paper, such uneven pacing could have worked in favor of such a character-focused storyline, as suspense (or tension) can enliven even the most mundane conversations between two people who are worth rooting for.

Here, both Jake and Vince are sympathetic despite their respective flaws and eccentricities, but the world they inhabit and the people they come across feel remarkably dull. That's inexplicable, as the brothers are constantly flirting with danger and making grave mistakes, but none of these decisions are presented with the immediacy required to induce a sustained sense of anxiety. The drab, formulaic structure gets a tad repetitive by the fourth episode, and with no intriguing end goal to keep you hooked, "Black Rabbit" can turn into a frustrating binge-watch experience very quickly.

Thankfully, the Bateman-Law duo is the story's saving grace — so much so that you'll be willing to overlook many, many flaws as the series inches towards its end. The brothers' arcs aren't terribly interesting, but Bateman and Law make these lived-in character vignettes seem larger than life, creating a thrilling, noxious bond that thrives on codependency. While Jake is perceived as the more responsible sibling, Vince's mere presence brings Jake's worst vices to the surface.

Law and Bateman sport an easygoing chemistry that does wonders for "Black Rabbit," making the snail-like pacing of some episodes tolerable and even genuinely enjoyable on some occasions. There's a taut, snappy thriller in here somewhere, it's just a shame the show's bloated narrative takes way too much time before playing its ace.

"Black Rabbit" is currently streaming on Netflix.