Having a show that outdraws network television on paid cable gives HBO a luxury few networks do: the ability to take risks on programming that never would touch basic cable. That’s the case with Barry, a hitman comedy that would be considered risky on any other network but HBO. That Game of Thrones level hammer they’ve been swinging for nearly a decade has allowed them to take risks on something as esoteric as Barry.
Simple premise: Barry (Bill Hader) is a depressed hitman who finds a new passion on accident: acting. Stumbling into the L.A theater scene, Barry has to balance his profession with his hobby in an incredibly dark and incredibly funny show.
At only eight episodes the show is a quick binge and works because Bill Hader has the perfect character written for him while also handling himself capably in the show’s multiple action sequences. Hader is perfect in this absolutely dark comedy, making a hitman with a dubious moral compass in need of focusing a remarkably sympathetic protagonist.
The show itself works because it doesn’t let up in both comedy and its darkness; this is a sketchy world and the show has no qualms showcasing just how bad it can get.
Nothing of significance.
HBO presents Barry (Season 1). Starring Bill Hader. Run Time: 240 minutes Not rated . Released on DVD: 10.2.18
