Jason Bateman’s Thrillers Share Chilling Similarities
This article includes brief mentions of molestation, abuse, and murder.
Spoilers for Black Rabbit and The Gift are ahead!
Jason Bateman’s new Netflix thriller Black Rabbit might seem narratively parallel to Ozark, but it also has stark similarities to the actor’s 2015 horror-thriller film with a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score. A-list actor Jason Bateman’s best TV shows and movies traditionally lean comedic; however, he has branched out into more dramatic roles recently.
His new show, Black Rabbit, follows two brothers named Jake (Jude Law) and Vince (Jason Bateman) who become embroiled in the criminal underworld when gambler Vince comes back into restaurateur Jake’s life. Critics initially responded positively to the thriller, but the score has since dropped on Rotten Tomatoes.
Both the positive and negative reviews inevitably compare Black Rabbit to the TV show Ozark, which also features Jason Bateman and an organized crime plotline. What’s more, these two shows exist within the same genre. However, a 2015 horror-thriller movie starring the actor also has stark stylistic similarities with Black Rabbit, even if their stories are very different.
Black Rabbit & The Gift Are Both Slow-Burn Stories With Deeply Psychological Twists
Jason Bateman’s Vince looking intense while sitting at a blackjack table in Black Rabbit
When comparing Black Rabbit to the 2015 film, there’s no doubt that The Gift is better at building tension and telling a compelling story. However, they take the same approach to storytelling. Rather than unveiling the story and tension quickly, Black Rabbit and The Gift both move slowly, intensifying over time.
The details of the underlying narrative aren’t apparent from the start, with little hints being dropped over time. This means that the big psychological twists happen down the line, when a later revelation explains why everything bad is happening to Jason Bateman’s character.
When the movie and miniseries reveal their respective truths, they have a profound psychological impact on both the characters and viewers. Both stories have twisted elements. Trauma is also a significant factor in both backstories, as Bateman’s character receives trauma in Black Rabbit and causes it in The Gift.
Ambiance Is The Driving Force Of Black Rabbit & The Gift
Joel Edgerton’s Gordo stares through a window in the 2015 horror movie The GiftCredit: Image via MovieStillsDB
Even though Black Rabbit and The Gift are both thrillers, they don’t fall into the category in the traditional sense. They aren’t packed with nonstop action, violence, or red herrings. Instead, the ambiance drives the movie and miniseries. They both have a grittiness and suspense to them that puts the viewer on edge, and they tap into instinctual fears.
The Gift has very few visual jump scares and only a small amount of onscreen violence, but there’s still this itching feeling that something is very, very wrong the entire time. Meanwhile, from the start to the end of Black Rabbit, the miniseries is dark, literally and metaphorically.
The violent robbery scene at the start of Black Rabbit, along with the few instances of violence by the mobsters, effectively introduces the stakes. However, outside of that, the suspense comes from the mood, lighting, and tone.
Black Rabbit’s Vince & The Gift’s Simon Are Both Morally Ambiguous Villains
Robyn, Simon, and Gordo have a tense dinner in the 2015 horror movie The Gift.Credit: Image via MovieStillsDB
From the start of Black Rabbit, it’s pretty clear that Vince is a villain in his own story. He’s the brother who causes problems. He’s in serious gambling debt, which led to him being hunted down by a mobster called Mancuso. Over time, he becomes more of a villain in the story of everyone else.
However, that doesn’t mean he is a bad person at his core. Vince wants to live a better life in Black Rabbit, but he keeps finding himself deeper and deeper into trouble no matter what he does. It feels like he’s a product of bad circumstances, rather than someone who is intentionally villainous.
On the other hand, The Gift’s Simon doesn’t originally seem like a villain. Instead, he’s just kind of a jerk to the guy from high school. However, it becomes clear by the end that he is also the villain of his own story. Gordo is only getting revenge on Simon because of Simon’s own actions.
I can’t even label it “bullying” because that doesn’t encompass the absolutely disgusting behavior of Simon and his friend in high school. The situation could be considered ambiguous because Simon was just a child at the time, but the fact that he’s still cruel to Gordo in real-time in the horror movie proves it wasn’t just a childish mistake.
Jason Bateman’s Characters Both Have A Big Secret With Serious Implications
Jason Bateman looking at Jude Law in Black Rabbit
The other major similarity between Black Rabbit and The Gift is that Jason Bateman’s characters keep massive secrets that have big impacts on the people they love. In Black Rabbit, Jason Bateman’s Vince is hiding the fact that he killed his father when he and Jake were children.
Vince’s abusive father was on the verge of murdering his mom, so he dropped a bowling ball on his dad’s head in a state of panic. Unfortunately, this shaped both his and Jake’s lives throughout childhood and adulthood. In the case of Black Rabbit, Vince’s secret at least came from a place of caring about his brother.
Simon in The Gift, on the other hand, just wanted to hide his own terribleness. He lied about Gordo getting molested and being gay, resulting in Gordo’s father setting him on fire. Simon’s secret has a serious impact on both Gordo and his wife, as Gordo is now trying to get revenge on Simon through his wife.
0 Comments