Created by Zach Baylin and Kate Susman.
Black Rabbit was released on September 18, 2025.
Distributed by Netflix.
Series Review
Black Rabbit (2025) is a dark crime drama about two brothers, played by Jude Law and Jason Bateman.
The story takes place in New York, mixing family loyalty, guilt, and tough choices in a world of crime and danger.
Law and Bateman give strong performances, showing the love and tension between brothers who cannot fully trust each other.
The show looks great, with stylish scenes and a moody atmosphere that fits the story well.
At times, the pacing feels slow, and some parts of the plot are hard to believe, which may test the patience of viewers.
It is also not easy to root for either brother since both make questionable choices.
Still, the series has powerful moments and an emotional payoff for those who stick with it.
Black Rabbit is a good pick if you enjoy intense family drama and crime thrillers with complex characters.
Ratings
• IMDb: 7/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
• Google Audience Score: 45% liked this TV show.
Black Rabbit Actors
Jude Law as Jake Friedkin
DOB: December 29, 1972.
Bio: English actor from London, celebrated for his versatility across stage, television, and film.
He first rose to international prominence with his Academy Award–nominated role in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), followed by another Oscar nomination for Cold Mountain (2003).
Known for seamlessly moving between blockbuster franchises and independent cinema, Law has built a career defined by both charisma and depth.
Role: Jake Friedkin is one of the central figures in Black Rabbit.
A man with a dark past, he is pulled into the dangerous web of New York’s underworld, where loyalty, betrayal, and survival intersect.
As the elder Friedkin brother, Jake must balance family responsibilities with choices that threaten to consume him, making him a layered and morally complex protagonist.
Episodes: 8 eps.
What to Expect: Expect Law to bring depth, charisma, and a morally gray complexity to Jake, balancing vulnerability and menace.
Favorite Things: Away from the screen, Law has a passion for literature and theatre.
He has often spoken about the grounding influence of stage work in shaping his craft, returning frequently to productions in London and New York.
Notable Works: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain, Sherlock Holmes, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Jason Bateman as Vince Friedkin
DOB: January 14, 1969.
Bio: American actor, director, and producer, born in Rye, New York.
He began his career as a child actor with early roles in Little House on the Prairie and Silver Spoons.
After gaining popularity in sitcoms like Arrested Development, Bateman reinvented himself as a dramatic force with Netflix’s Ozark, which earned him both a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe.
Role: Vince Friedkin is Jake’s younger brother and a central figure in Black Rabbit.
Struggling between loyalty to his family and the instinct for self-preservation, Vince becomes entangled in the dangerous undercurrents of New York’s criminal world.
His moral compromises and conflicted choices drive much of the show’s tension.
Episodes: 8 eps.
What to Expect: Bateman brings his sharp wit and layered acting style, portraying a man struggling with loyalty, betrayal, and moral compromise.
Favorite Things: Jason Bateman is passionate about directing and producing, often taking creative control of projects he stars in.
Notable Works: Ozark, Arrested Development, The Gift, Game Night.
Cleopatra Coleman as Estelle
DOB: October 29, 1987.
Bio: Cleopatra Coleman is an Australian actress and writer, born in Wentworth Falls, New South Wales.
She began her career in Australian television before moving to Hollywood, where she has established herself across comedy, drama, and genre projects.
Known for her versatility, she has balanced quirky comedic turns with grounded dramatic performances in acclaimed streaming series and films.
Role: In Black Rabbit, Estelle is Jake Friedkin’s confidante and the Black Rabbit’s interior designer.
She provides practical intelligence and emotional grounding, helping to hold the restaurant’s atmosphere and relationships together even as deeper tensions and secrets unfold.
Episodes: 8 eps.
What to Expect: A calm and clever presence that reveals more about Jake’s pre-crisis life, while giving audiences a window into the emotional stakes behind the restaurant’s glittering façade.
Favorite Things: Coleman has spoken about her love of storytelling across mediums, often choosing projects that allow her to move fluidly between drama, comedy, and science fiction.
Notable Works: The Last Man on Earth, Dopesick, Rebel Moon, In the Shadow of the Moon.
Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù as Wes
DOB: January 9, 1991.
Bio: British-Nigerian actor, born in Edgware, London.
He quickly gained recognition on stage and screen for his powerful presence and emotional intelligence.
Dìrísù has built a career balancing theatre, action-driven projects, and nuanced drama, establishing himself as one of the most versatile rising stars of British acting.
Role: Wes is a musician and investor connected to the Black Rabbit world.
Charismatic yet layered, he becomes entangled in the Friedkin brothers’ escalating conflicts, with his loyalty and ambitions tested as the story unfolds.
Episodes: 7 eps.
What to Expect: A performance marked by subtle intensity and texture, combining the allure of industry glamour with the personal risks of standing too close to dangerous alliances.
Favorite Things: Dìrísù has spoken about his love for theatre and the discipline of rigorous training, which informs the physicality and depth he brings to screen roles.
Notable Works: Gangs of London, His House, Mr. Malcolm’s List, Slow Horses.
Troy Kotsur as Joe Mancuso
DOB: July 24, 1968.
Bio: American actor and trailblazer in deaf representation across film, television, and stage.
Born in Mesa, Arizona, he began his career in theater before transitioning to screen roles.
In 2022, he made history as the first deaf male actor to win an Academy Award, earning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in CODA.
Role: In Black Rabbit, Joe Mancuso is a formidable figure in New York’s criminal underworld.
His ties to the Friedkin brothers are complicated, at times serving as an ally and at others as a rival, making him one of the most unpredictable and commanding forces in the story.
Season & Episodes: 4 eps.
What to Expect: Expect a groundbreaking performance that mixes strength, intensity, and emotional depth.
Favorite Things: Kotsur is deeply involved in promoting deaf culture and enjoys mentoring young deaf performers.
Notable Works: CODA, The Mandalorian, CSI: NY.
Amaka Okafor as Roxie
DOB: November 3, 1981.
Bio: British actor of Nigerian heritage, born in Birmingham, England.
She has built a distinguished career in theatre, television, and film, praised for her grounded and emotionally rich performances.
A regular presence on the London stage, she has also gained recognition on screen for her ability to bring both toughness and vulnerability to complex roles.
Role: Roxie is the head chef of the titular restaurant.
Fiercely competent and skeptical by nature, she serves as the show’s anchor of workplace realism, holding the kitchen together even as the Friedkin brothers’ chaos spills into her domain.
Episodes: 8 eps.
What to Expect: Expect a tough, no-nonsense performance that captures the high-pressure environment of a fine-dining kitchen while showing the human costs of keeping it running in the middle of crime and betrayal.
Favorite Things: Okafor is deeply connected to theatre and values ensemble-driven storytelling.
She often gravitates toward character-rich projects that highlight social and human truths.
Notable Works: Bodies (Netflix), The Responder (BBC).
Dagmara Dominczyk as Val
DOB: July 17, 1976.
Bio: Polish-American actress and author.
Born in Kielce, Poland, she emigrated to the United States as a child and later trained at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama.
Known for her versatile screen presence, she has built a career across theater, film, and television, often portraying intelligent and layered characters.
Role: Val is Jake’s ex-wife whose history with him and shared son add domestic stakes to the criminal fallout.
She’s a cautious, emotionally honest counterpoint to the brothers’ chaos.
Episodes: 6 eps.
What to Expect: Dagmara brings elegance and a commanding presence, portraying Sofia as both supportive and calculating.
Favorite Things: She is passionate about literature, writing, and her Polish heritage, often reflecting on storytelling as both a cultural and personal pursuit.
Notable Works: Succession, The Lost Daughter, Trust the Man.
Odessa Young as Gen
DOB: March 6, 1998.
Bio: Australian actress, born in Sydney. She began acting as a teenager and quickly drew international attention with her fearless performances in independent films.
Known for her raw emotional intensity, she has built a reputation for tackling psychologically layered roles that demand vulnerability and strength.
Role: Gen is Vince Friedkin’s daughter.
Her storyline brings a deeply personal dimension to Vince’s arc, as her presence highlights the emotional and familial costs of his descent into crime and betrayal.
Episodes: 8 eps.
What to Expect: Expect Young to deliver emotionally resonant and tender moments, balancing fragility with quiet resilience.
Favorite Things: Young is private about her personal life and avoids social media.
She is drawn to projects that are artistically daring, preferring scripts that challenge her craft and emotional range.
Notable Works: The Daughter, Assassination Nation, Shirley, Mothering Sunday.
Abbey Lee as Anna
DOB: June 12, 1987.
Bio: Australian model, actress, and musician, born in Melbourne.
She rose to international prominence as a high-fashion model before transitioning into acting, where she quickly made an impression with her striking presence and willingness to take on unconventional, daring roles.
Role: Anna is a bartender at the titular club.
Her complicated past and ties to the Friedkin brothers’ world add depth to the series, as her relationships with staff and patrons create layers of tension, loyalty, and mistrust.
Episodes: 6 eps.
What to Expect: Expect Lee to bring magnetic and slightly haunted energy to Anna.
Favorite Things: Outside acting, Abbey Lee continues to pursue creative work across modeling and music.
She gravitates toward bold, visually striking projects and values collaboration with visionary directors.
Notable Works: Mad Max: Fury Road, The Neon Demon, Lovecraft Country, Old.
Gus Birney as Mel
DOB: July 27, 1999.
Bio: American actress, singer, and model, born in New York City to a theatrical family.
Her mother is actress Constance Shulman (Orange Is the New Black) and her father is actor-director Reed Birney (Succession).
With this background, Birney grew up around the stage and developed her craft early.
Role: Mel, a nightclub host whose presence adds vibrancy and heart to the nightlife ecosystem surrounding the Friedkin brothers.
Mel provides a sympathetic, contemporary voice that grounds the story’s gritty crime world in youthful realism.
Episodes: 8 eps.
What to Expect: Expect Birney to bring warmth and authenticity to her role.
Favorite Things: Birney often highlights her love of theatre and music, balancing screen work with creative expression in both performance and songwriting.
Notable Works: The Mist, Dickinson, Shining Vale.
Robin de Jesús as Tony
DOB: August 21, 1984.
Bio: American actor born in Norwalk, Connecticut.
He began his career in film with Camp (2003) before making his mark on Broadway, where he earned acclaim and multiple Tony Award nominations for roles in In the Heights, La Cage aux Folles, and The Boys in the Band.
Role: Tony, a chef at the titular club whose journey highlights the loyalty, pressure, and fractured bonds inside the kitchen.
As the Friedkin brothers’ criminal troubles intensify, Tony’s position within the team becomes more complex, exposing the vulnerabilities of the people holding the bar together.
Episodes: 8 eps.
What to Expect: Expect de Jesús to deliver emotional, high-stakes performances that bring both heart and intensity.
Favorite Things: De Jesús has a deep connection to theatre and often returns to Broadway, finding joy in musical performance and live ensemble work.
Notable Works: Camp, In the Heights (Broadway, 2008), Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021).
Morgan Spector as Campbell
DOB: October 4, 1980.
Bio: American actor born in Santa Rosa, California.
He trained at the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco before moving to New York, where he built a reputation on stage with roles on and off Broadway.
Role: Campbell, a lawyer and PR manager who becomes entangled with the Friedkin brothers.
His character embodies the intersection of legal maneuvering and media spin, representing the public consequences of the brothers’ increasingly risky choices.
Episodes: 5 eps.
What to Expect: Viewers can expect Spector to deliver sharp, understated performances in courtroom and negotiation settings.
Favorite Things: Spector maintains a close connection to theatre and often emphasizes the discipline of stage training in his craft.
Notable Works: The Gilded Age, The Plot Against America.
More Actors
• Chris Coy as Babbit
• Forrest Weber as Junior (Joe Mancuso’s son)
• John Ales as Zablonski (accused artist)
• Amir Malaklou as Naveen (investor)
• Ben Jackson (EP credited / production)
• Michael Cash as Hunter (Jake’s son)
FAQ – Black Rabbit (Mini Series)
How many episodes are in Black Rabbit?
It is an eight-episode limited series.
What is Black Rabbit about (the premise)?
The story follows brothers Jake (Jude Law) and Vince (Jason Bateman) who co-own a high-end New York City restaurant/nightlife spot called Black Rabbit.
Vince’s return triggers old debt, criminal danger, and emotional wounds that threaten everything Jake built.
Is Black Rabbit going to have a Season 2?
No. The show is a limited series (essentially designed with a full, self-contained story) and creators have indicated there are no plans for a second season. More on Elle
Where was Black Rabbit filmed?
Black Rabbit (2025) was filmed across New York City, with key scenes shot in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
The restaurant exterior is based on a real building at 279 Water Street in Lower Manhattan, while interiors were recreated on a soundstage.
What happens in the ending / does Vince survive?
The ending is tragic. Vince’s past catches up, and in the final episode his actions lead to a heartbreaking conclusion. Jake is left to pick up what remains.
Who is the villain or antagonist?
The criminal underworld in which Vince has entangled himself plays the antagonist, particularly the mob boss Joe Mancuso.
Vince’s own past actions and debts also serve as antagonistic forces in the story.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Black Rabbit (2025) delivers a gripping mix of family drama and crime thriller, led by powerful performances from Jude Law and Jason Bateman.
While the pacing may feel uneven and the characters morally complex, the show stands out for its emotional depth, stylish visuals, and raw look at brotherhood tested by secrets and betrayal.
For fans of dark, character-driven stories, Black Rabbit is worth the watch.