Black Bird (TV Mini Series 2022) Poster

(2022)

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9/10
Paul Walter Hauser stole the show
angad_juneja31 August 2022
Don't get me wrong but these crime shows are totally dependent on how good the criminal is portrayed and Paul Walter played the role to perfection showing all the sides of Larry Hall. Taron was also really good but his breakthrough didn't come till the final episode which in hindsight was the most imp one. The conversations between Larry and Jimmy in the show are really fascinating and honestly you can try but you won't be able to take your eyes off. How every conversation brings you one step closer to figuring out the puzzle of Larry Hall is a binge worthy experience. With shows like this and Severance Apple TV is definitely bringing it's A game 🎯.
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9/10
Couldn't Stop Watching
Supermanfan-134 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I can't say enough about how good Black Bird is. First of all the cast is amazing: Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, Greg Kinnear, Ray Liotta and Sepideh Moafi all give award worthy performances. Especially Egerton and Hauser. Egerton is an A list actor who has done a great job in some big roles in movies like Kingsman and Rocketman but this might be his best performance yet! The writing and storytelling in this is as good as it gets for a tv show. It's based off a true story of a prisoner in a minimum security prison who gets a deal to get out early if he goes to maximum security prison for the criminally insane and gets suspected serial killer to confess to him. But the problem is he might not actually be a serial killer and falsely confessed to the murders for attention or he really is a serial killer. It's an edge of your seat thriller which is made even more thrilling because it's based off a true story. I absolutely recommend this show!
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8/10
Phenomenal!
theburrus116 July 2022
Not since True Detective's first season has a crime drama been so compelling, so intriguing and gripping! In just the first three episodes, it's far exceeded my own expectations. All, and I mean every actor steps up 100% in their roles here which is rare, and lastly but not least, Ray Liotta contributes an excellent contribution to the overall consistent acting throughout the entire casting performances. I'm glad to see his (Ray Liotta's) final role be of a such a fine caliber of a series!
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9/10
Terrific!
Rob13314 May 2023
Black Bird is every bit as good as everyone says it is. After reading all the great reviews (it currently has a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes) so I went into this with pretty high expectations, well this series not only met those expectations but surpassed them in every way. While there are plenty of great performances here (Ray Liotta, Greg Kinnear, Sepideh Moafi) the two stand outs everyone is talking about is Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser. Both give award worthy performances. In Hauser's case he actually win a Golden Globe for best supporting actor. There are so many shoes on true crime that have come out lately but Black Bird is among the best of them and should be a must watch for any fan of the genre.
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8/10
Paul Walter Hauser
danielcereto24 December 2022
This is not Black Bird. It is Paul Walter Hauser's show. Again.

First, I discovered Paul in Frank's Grillo's Kingdom series. He is terrific there. One of my favorite characters. A masterfully acting class. Probably the best performer there with Jay Kulina.

Second, even Black Bird's story is interesting, what makes it over the average, is Paul's performance. Don't get me wrong, Taron is great too, but not as credible and solid as Paul.

Last, the series had potential to become a cult classic, but at the end, it makes you feel like something is missing. Overall is pretty great but not superb as it could have been.
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10/10
One of the best mini series on Apple TV
UniqueParticle28 July 2022
I loved the trailers and my mom recommend which is fair since we tend to enjoy crime/dramas this is a phenomenal one! Black Bird keeps you intrigued from beginning to end of each episode. It's well filmed, exceptional cast, awesome music, and the story hits the spot all around. Paul Walter Hauser is great in any role I love how he's considered a sick puppy in this! I can't believe there's only 6 episodes I love everything about it.
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10/10
Someone give Paul Walter Hauser an Oscar!!!
mikeydalby-119-78923223 July 2022
This is an intelligent and interesting story that is added to by the fact that it's based on real events.

The lead cast is excellent, but Paul Walter Hauser's portrayal of Larry is absolutely stunning. His mannerisms, voice and dialogue are truly amazing. I don't think I have seen many actors emitting so much evil in a performance.

It's a big thumbs up from me.
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8/10
Mini Series Magic
rickyspanish1430 September 2022
Mini Series Magic

Is it just me or is the mini-series becoming one of the more popular "styles" of TV entertainment? I can't remember watching a single mini series more than 3 years ago - now I'm keeping a sharp eye out for them since the likes of "Chernobyl" "Mare of Eastown" and "Black Bird" have all blown my socks off.

Taron Egerton is the shining star of his generation, truly a man of many talents. I've followed him since his breakaway role in Kingsmen and have enjoyed every single project I've seen him in sense. "Black Bird" was the first serious role I've seen Egerton in, and he proved that he can deliver across the TV medium, for multiple episodes, hooking the audience in on a character that he really made his own.

The story of Larry Hall is terrifying, a monster in our society that was caged and almost let go again. I was hooked from the first episode to the last, and by the end was wishing the series wasn't so "mini."
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8/10
The sad thing is that it really happened
Erik_Surewaard7 August 2022
Wow! This true crime show was truly a great watch! Each one of the episodes keeps your interest triggered. As a big fan of the Netflix show "Mindhunter", I see some parallels with Black Bird. The FBI, profiling, serial killer and prison environment are all present in both shows. So if you are a fan of Mindhunter, than I think you may also like Black Bird.

Especially the complex and unfortunately very sick and evil character of Hall has been more than excellently portrayed by the actor. I would not be surprised if that actor will be nominated for some important movie awards. It really was that good.
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7/10
good not great
backnblack-061238 August 2022
I enjoyed this id say could have been done in 4 episodes without missing anything, acting especially by the killer Larry was fantastic but the writing was a little bit stretched and required some level of denial, just too many times situations didnt seem likely. The guards, doctors,F. B. I agents all were out of what line to how they would have acted. Still its a 7 and good.
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6/10
Sooooo On The Nose.
tangled-up-in-plaid7 August 2022
Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser gave the performance of a lifetime in every scene they were in, I love both of the main actors in this show for very different reasons and I really applaud Paul Walter Hauser for taking and completely nailing a role so outside of his comfort zone (he plays Jimmy Tacos competition in "I think you should leave" and it's awesome) but the writing really failed everyone involved in this show by like a lot... The only reason this show is so compelling is because of the performances.

There's a lot of tension building that leads to nothing, this happens again and again, you can pretty much guess everything that will happen next if you reduce every interaction to the lowest common denominator, it makes for a really lacklustre, boring series, but again Taron, Paul and Greg made it a very watchable series because they acted their tushies off.
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5/10
Engrossing and well-acted, but PAT ending feels abrupt and unsatisfying
tobydammit-26 August 2022
Fantastic acting by the two principal characters, particularly Paul Walter Hauser, who convincingly plays a psychopathic serial killer. That said, this could have been an excellent 90 or 120 minute film (instead of a fairly good 6-part mini-series) by removing the extortion sub-plot with a corrupt prison guard and a budding relationship with a revered mafia boss, neither of which is resolved by the end of the series and neither of which have any bearing on its conclusion.
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9/10
Phenomenal.
tippopotamus26 July 2022
Paul Walter Hauser deserves an award (or multiple) for his performance as Larry in Black Bird. He's compelling and genuine, and manages to force you to develop some sympathy for him, despite his heinous crimes. I've only seen Taron Egerton in the Kingsmen franchise, but his performance is far superior in Black Bird. I wasn't sure what to expect out of him in this serious role, but he is excellent.
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8/10
Gorilla grip
AfricanBro17 July 2022
First thing that comes to mind is mayor of Kingstown because that's the most recent prison drama I've watched; and while that was fast paced in comparison to black bird, this is just as, if not more thrilling and has it's main focus on one story. There's a lot of suspense so far and of course "based on a true story" always adds a little more zest to it. For the same reason, some scenes are difficult to watch especially throughout episode 5 because you know this actually happened. The acting is great throughout, even though from the few shows I've seen Taron Egerton in he takes similar roles but he's really good at them and I think this is one of his better ones yet; Paul Walter Hauser is incredible as well as he makes you believe everything that's said about his character's personality even though each story contradicts whether he's a serial killer or serial confessor. After Jimmy lands at maximum security almost every scene is tense and gripping so you never lose focus and I really love it when shows consume you as you watch, the only thing you think about while watching Black bird is Black bird. Looking forward to the mystery unravel. Didn't give it a full ten rating but there's nothing I can fault it for.
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10/10
Stunning!
aleXandrugota1 August 2022
Who is Paul Walter Hauser that I haven't heard of until this series?! Why haven't we heard anything about this formidable actor totally getting mixed up with psycho Larry?! It's extremely hard to decide what I like best about this series?! A "dark" series and even more so because I also see the last role of the late Ray Liotta. Since the first "True Detective" series, I haven't seen a series that deals so well with a very controversial subject anyway. Biopics about Ted Bundy, Ed Gein or Dahmer have been attempted, but this is by far the most complex. The ending of episode five is absolutely incredible and leaves a lot of questions open.
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10/10
Phenomenal
m-rugen8 July 2022
All around phenomenal. Acting, pacing, direction are all on point. Even though Jimmy and Larry haven't had any scenes together yet, the suspense of what's to come is already there.

Paul Walter Hauser really is a phenomenal actor. This might be Taron Egerton's best role yet outside of Rocketman.

I had never heard of these events so I went into it completely in the dark and absolutely loved the first two episodes.

Looking forward to the rest of the series for sure.
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9/10
Unexpected
doobiecad-899-8208061 April 2023
Looking for something to binge watch, I came across this on Apple TV and it sounded intriguing but omg... I wasn't sure if I'd seen Taron Egerton in anything before this but I couldn't take my eyes off him. So handsome and so convincing as a smug and cocky Jimmy who comes down to earth by the end of the film. Ray Liotta, in a heartfelt performance, was excellent as his father.

But the real reason to watch is Paul Walter Hauser as the suspected serial killer. I alternated between feeling bad for him and despising him. He was mesmerizing.

I was hooked before the first episode ended. Well done.
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7/10
Good Overall
Mangalassery_Neelakandan3 September 2022
I watched the series after looking at the reviews hereto be honest it is not as expected, but good overall. All episodes together is approximately 6 hours so if you have a free day you could finish this. Acting wise and making wise the series is A plus. But there is not a surprise factor or something and like in some reviews its not that horrifying only it is conveyed to us verbally and is left to our imagination.

Taron and Paul did an excellent job acting wise and the series is mainly concentrated on the development of each character. I think as this is inspired from real life incidents it lacks some dramatic moments and they didn't show how he does his crimes other than Paul saying what he did. Also one more problem I had was that by the end of series Taron does something but it leads to nowhere and nothing happens on behalf of that like it was not necessary for him to go through all that.

But all together it is a watchable entertaining mini series.
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10/10
Gripping
VioiV8 July 2022
Only 2 episodes in and I'm so hooked. The 2 lead male actors are enough to carry you through even if you hate everything else about it. The story feels like a prison drama done right. It ain't a new narrative, but the acting + good writing makes it work. Give it a go.
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6/10
Missed Opportunity
zenmateisshite5 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Some of the actors are amazing (Paul Walter Hauser, Robert Wisdom, and Greg Kinnear) but others are not so good (Taron Egerton (miscast IMO) and Tony Amendola). Average score 8.5/10.

Story goes from good to dull to all over the place. They do strange things like the girl remembering and narrating her own life, and they forget about the investigation for entire episodes. Average score 6/10.

What is absolutely inexcusable for this type of big budget production is the lack of attention to details. The weird accents, the unrealistic repetitive conversations, the strange out of place riot, the utter falseness of the "maximum-security prison for the criminally insane" which it clearly ain't, the color of converse shoes changing all of a sudden. Average score 3/10.

Its just a bad production with lots of: "that doesn't look right" moments. Watch at your own peril.
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4/10
Formulaic
jandobrodumow9 July 2022
Another overrated crime story with gushing reviews plastered all over imdb. I don't know if it's that modern audiences have grown up on lesser quality, or their standards are lower, or they are blinded by flash production values and good looking actors. It's not that this show is necessarily bad, it just isn't very good, it's a mish mash of everything you already saw, with a script full of hammy cliched dialogue and on the nose acting. The lead character has no redeeming qualities, hell if he were at least well drawn and complex we might be able to give him a pass, but there's nothing there to work with, just a wooden attitude with poorly written dialogue. Quite honestly I am going to resign my subscriptions from streaming services. Is this the best we can expect? Hyped up, all style and no substance, weakly developed nonsense with unconvincing main characters. Thanks but no thanks.
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9/10
Great TV
Lefty2Guns9 July 2022
The storyline and acting are top notch. Paul Hauser who plays Larry Hall is outstanding. After watching him immersed in this role I couldn't picture anyone else playing that character. After only a couple episodes in I'm hooked.
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10/10
Phenomenal
almosallamk29 July 2022
Everyone already talked about how wonderfully made the film is. What I find mostly intriguing is Larry's complex character played by the genius Hauser. A chilling, terrifying villain that you somehow sympathize with at times. The brilliance of creating a character of opposites, violent and vulnerable sides.. which is very real and close to human nature..

Egerton is amazing as well with his effortless and strong acting.

The story keeps you wondering what would you do or choose to do if you were in his position.
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10/10
Had to force myself to start watching this - at first
thejdrage6 August 2022
It took me a few weeks to get myself to watch this series, but the reviews helped me decide to do it. And I am so glad I did - for a couple of reasons.

This is an amazing and equally difficult series to watch given the true story it tells. Nothing is pretty. Nothing is smooth.

HOWEVER! Even if you don't like the story or the facts, it is worth watching for several reasons - all of them actors. First and foremost (Forgive me, Ray Liotta) - Paul Walter Hauser is scary brilliant as Larry Hall. He brought to life a monster I promise you will never forget. He builds layers week by week by week. It's the same with Taron Egerton as Jimmy.

Ray Liotta as the dad. Well. It's Ray Liotta, isn't it? Perfection from his first appearance on the screen, as always. This was a good way for him leave.

The story is even scarier given that it's true.

Do watch it - even it's uncomfortable (and it is). You'll be rewarded with some of the best acting you've been privy to in a long time.
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9/10
Excellent
karinahatem25 April 2023
Wow, this was unexpectedly not just good, but great. Really enjoyed watching this, got hooked from the very begging. Great cast and performance from everyone, specially from Taron and Paul Walter, both did a fantastic job. I finished the whole series in 2 nights, just to see how Jimmy is going to get Larry to confess. This show was brilliant, great story with great cast. Also what I liked about it, it was 6 episodes, and thanks god the producers didn't make it any longer. Overall, this was a great show that I enjoyed.

It seems Apple is on a roll making and producing good content, they got few in the pipeline, let's hope they are good.
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