Max Crime Comedy Is A Live-Action Grand Theft Auto
If you’re an HBO subscriber, you’re already well aware that the premium network has a penchant for churning out some of the finest long-form programming in the history of Hollywood. Shows such as The Wire, The Sopranos, and Succession have each offered a tantalizing blend of laughs, shrieks, and high-budget special effects, establishing the network as one of the best in the business. One HBO original currently streaming on Max, Barry, offers such a perfect blend of absurdist humor and over-the-top criminal enterprises, making it the closest thing we have to a live-action Grand Theft Auto TV show.
Bill Hader Is Barry
For those who haven’t seen the series, Barry stars Saturday Night Live alumnus Bill Hader as the titular Barry Berkman, a hapless hitman who spends his days between ruthless contract killings searching for a greater purpose in life. One day, after being hired by a gang of Chechen mobsters to carry out a hit in Los Angeles, Barry discovers a troupe of would-be screen actors, and decides that he has a passion for performance. Despite taking to the stage like a fish takes to candlepin bowling, Barry becomes determined to join the acting troupe, and eventually finds himself being pulled by two very different lifestyles.
Season 4
While the show begins as a straightforward comedy with a dark edge, it eventually morphs over the course of 4 seasons, and ultimately takes on a much bleaker tone. Still, the final season of Barry compares and contrasts criminals in the underworld with criminals in fancy boardrooms, offering a fascinating tone that is extremely similar to the style of Grand Theft Auto‘s usual storytelling tropes.
Just like in Grand Theft Auto, Barry sees a handful of ruthless killers and leg-breakers elevating themselves to the top of the criminal food chain through their connections, and eventually working out of boardrooms instead of garages.
Bill Hader At His Best
In addition to starring in the show, Bill Hader also co-created Barry with Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s Alec Berg, and serves as a director for a number of episodes as well. His career-defining performance as Berkman is layered with tons of nuance, elevating Hader beyond his “funny man” identity, while his skills behind the camera continue to grow sharper with each passing season.
By the time the show wraps up, it becomes painfully obvious that Bill Hader has the skill and talent to be one of the next creative geniuses to helm landmark feature films, much in the same vein as Jordan Peele.
The Cast
While Hader’s leading performance brings big laughs and big chills, Barry is also choc-full of other exceptional actors offering show-stealing performances. Additional cast members of the series include the likes of Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, D’Arcy Carden, and legendary television performer Henry Winkler. Anthony Carrigan’s character NoHo Hank is a particular standout, and can arguably be crowned one of the greatest fictional characters of the 21st century.
Streaming On Max
REVIEW SCORE
Those who have not yet seen Barry should be sure to stream the hit series on Max today, especially if you’ve ever been a fan of the GTA franchise. The show touts massive critical acclaim, and has established Bill Hader as the next major filmmaker to look out for in the coming years.
