Ozark

Bateman's commanding performance powers a gripping, twisty, sometimes spotty yarn that plays like Breaking Bad in reverse, a darkly comic deconstruction of antihero fantasy about a man flailing to rediscover the value of human life. [21/28 July 2017, p.108]

Richly human and ruthlessly plotted--though overeager in repeatedly stating its existential theme of bad choices and worse consequences--Ozark is a triumph for Bateman. [24 Jul - 6 Aug 2017, p.14]

Ozark makes its bones via Bateman’s solid work, another reliably strong performance from Linney and an intriguing if sometimes over-populated immorality play that tantalizingly firms its grip.

The series regularly finds a way to highlight the humanity in a story of inhuman acts, and knows when to turn away from an act too vile to witness.

[Ozark] ecomes increasingly engrossing. As 10-episode binges go, the show yields an admirable return on investment.

The good news is that Ozark isn’t all that predictable and develops its own quirky rhythm. ... Even when the series seems to be drifting, it keeps luring you in.

The series--created by Bill Dubuque, who wrote the films The Accountant and The Judge--is often still compelling to watch, especially for those who consider “average guy goes gangster” one of their favorite TV subgenres. That’s thanks in large part to the layered performances from its cast, especially its two leads, Bateman, who also directed four of the episodes, and Laura Linney, who plays Wendy, Marty’s not entirely innocent wife.

Bateman is nicely restrained on the drama. ... Dubuque quickly gives us a strong ensemble of city folk and hicks, innocents and thugs. The overall vibe of the show is suspenseful, but there are small pockets of comedy usually found in the behavior of the locals.

It’s very much another desperate man in a desperate situation. Whether he’ll emerge better than Walter White is anyone’s guess. Dubuque, however, makes the journey just as intriguing.

Ozark is smart, well-crafted, and says something.

The plot runs from dark to darker. But there are also flashes of humor, and the Byrdes are well-developed as characters from the beginning. Their plight, and the path they find themselves on, is twisty enough to hold interest, but laid out clearly enough to keep viewers from feeling hopelessly lost.

Beyond the first episode, Ozark finds a certain pace and, if nothing else, you keep watching hoping at least most of them get what’s coming to them. You can’t look away.

Created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams (both of whom worked on “The Accountant”), Ozark does most things right. Not every plot point feels completely plausible, but the show looks good and plays well; the writing is crisp and not too colorful; the performances are unforced and believable.

It’s not as good as all-time classics like The Sopranos, The Wire and Breaking Bad, but it shares the same enquiring nature: intelligently examining the psychology, sociology and economics that fuel crime.

While there’s a lot to like in the cast and some of the plot, one of the major problems with the series, created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams (The Accountant), is that episodes feel too long at 60 minutes. It’s easy to find places where smart editing could have added momentum and urgency.