For all intents and purposes, Ozark feels like a spiritual successor
to Breaking Bad. A middle class
anti-hero who gets caught between the Cartel and local drug barons? A quiet
backwater region doubling as the unlikely setting of gang wars and gruesome
murders? A hefty dose of gallows humour perfectly balanced with suspense and
tension? Ozark ticks enough boxes to justify the comparisons with Vince
Gilligan’s unrivalled masterpiece, but also has enough hidden assets for it to
step out of BB’s shadow. Key among
these is an unexpectedly cold and calculating performance by Jason Bateman, a
man we’ve become far too accustomed to seeing cast as the loveable everyman in
forgettable comedies. While Walter White’s superpower was scientific knowledge,
Marty Byrde’s is persuasion coupled with an off-the-charts financial acumen.
Bateman is ably supported by solid turns from Laura Linney and Julia Garner,
but it is Byrde’s unorthodox character arc that drives the show and that will
have you eagerly awaiting for season 2 next month.
Verdict: 4/5
Where to find it: Netflix
