To classify HBO’s “Barry” as one of, if not the freshest, series currently on television would be a criminal understatement.
The plot is simple: Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) is a hit-for-hire assassin with a dark past who comes to L.A. for a job. Coincidentally finding himself in an acting class, Barry discovers an outlet in releasing his rage through stageplays under the guidance of self-obsessed acting coach Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler). Blessed with a good heart and burdened by mental anguish, Barry reckons with the very fiber of his existence as he is forced to choose between a life of happiness or a life of crime.
Alongside a slew of unforgettable players including the likes of Barry’s Chechen mobster peer NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan), fascinating and devastating love interest Sally (Sarah Goldberg), and manipulative boss Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root), “Barry” starts as a simple show with complex characters.
The series’ displays a bundle of performances that slowly uncover nuances and unveil tragedies.
Acting as a seemingly strictly comedic showrunner, Hader has crafted a conceptually substantial show consisting of simple ideas that surround complex commentaries on human nature and the realities of emotions. It is among one of the most invigorating and arresting shows on TV.
As a story encompassing a transformative character study and a plot with a beginning and end that are completely different tonally, emotionally and visually, “Barry” has solidified itself as one of the few crime shows comparable to that of AMC’s “Breaking Bad.”
It’s a true feat that a show of Barry’s artistic caliber can reign true through its supposedly accessible exterior.
While the show has always had a consistent prominence in comical execution, it is constantly taking steps forward into dramatic distraught and disarray. With a final season that can be attributed to something out of a psychological horror film, Hader has proven to have evident interest and skill in the dramatic.
Off the cusp of its series finale that premiered on May 28, it’s sad to see this true, pure gem of bravura auteurism leave after such a great run.
If you’ve been wanting a stellar piece of acting, writing and a generally masterful exemplification of any facet of filmmaking, start watching “Barry” right now.
