It’s got two of Hollywood’s big-name stars, but this Netflix thriller doesn’t quite stick

Black Rabbit ★★★ (Netflix)

Kudos to the make-up and lighting teams on this bleak Netflix drama about a self-destructive sibling bond. Across the eight episodes, stars Jude Law and Jason Bateman have a just-present sheen of sweat at crucial moments, which gives off a glint of desperation. It’s the final touch to two first-rate performances that draw more emotional resonance out of this limited series than the storytelling allows. The duo compensate for a work that has the right pieces, but never quite assembles them correctly.

Jason Bateman as dodgy brother Vince in Black Rabbit.

Right from a cold open that gets very hot, creating a pre-ordained turning point you know is inevitable as the plot jumps back a month, Black Rabbit will lean into the wrong elements as it sets up the Cain and Abel pairing of the Friedken brothers: Jake (Law) and Vince (Bateman). The former is the family man proprietor of the titular New York restaurant/VIP bar who has generated just enough buzz that he can potentially cash in, while the latter is a corner-cutter whose busted schemes bring trouble.

Created by writers Zach Baylin (King Richard) and newcomer Kate Susman, Black Rabbit can’t quite find a gripping take on this pair, even as Jake brings Vince back into his life after a dubious flameout out west. No sooner is Vince working at the Black Rabbit than the loan sharks he skipped out on years prior are at the door, interest calculations in hand and Jake made co-holder of the debt. A good chunk of the narrative is the two scrapping for cash and extra time.

Jude Law as responsible brother Jake in Black Rabbit.

It gets repetitive, but it doesn’t get to the core of their relationship. That’s a shame because some of the other storylines tied to the pair have illuminating possibilities. Vince has an adult daughter he barely knows, Gen (Odessa Young), who becomes collateral in his payment plan, while a situation around the restaurant’s best bartender, Anna (Abbey Lee), speaks to the all too prevalent toxic undertow in the hospitality game. The brothers run a lot, but perhaps more should have caught up with them.

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The trade-off for all this is that the final two instalments, directed with sabre-sharp efficiency by Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), have a palpable intensity – even more of that sweat – while spilling details that actually add to the complexity of who Jake and Vince are to each other. It’s compensation, but is it enough? The sly suggestion that Jake hides a manipulative edge and that Vince has a decent streak comes too late. Can a series get a director’s cut?

Black Rabbit streams on Netflix from September 18.

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