Barry Has The Best Action Sequences On TV
While feature film productions have the time and money to dedicate a few working days to their big action set-pieces, the limited budgets and tight shooting schedules of TV shows usually result in generic, pared-back, decidedly uncinematic action sequences. From the computer-generated CDC explosion in The Walking Dead to the many indecipherable fight scenes in Lost, TV action scenes don’t usually draw audiences to the edge of their seats and keep them there. But there’s an exception to this rule currently airing on HBO. Unlike most TV action, the action scenes in Bill Hader and Alec Berg’s Barry are truly cinematic.
It can be difficult to recommend Barry to friends, despite how incredible the show is, because the offbeat elevator pitch – a hitman wants to become an actor – sounds too gimmicky to work. But Hader and co. have taken that gimmicky premise and turned it into a timely modern-day tragedy about a killer seeking redemption. The beauty of the show is the tricky tonal balance it strikes between its various genres. It’s a deadpan comedy, an intense drama, and a riveting action thriller all at once. Barry’s action sequences have their own tonal identity with a unique mix of visceral, minimalist thrills and dry, deadpan laughs.
HBO's Barry: How Bill Hader Turned A Gimmicky Premise Into The Best Show On TV
Audiences have known that Hader is a gifted actor, both comedically and dramatically, for years. But the most surprising thing about Barry is that he might be an even more gifted writer-director. Hader’s talents as an actor – both his pitch-perfect comic timing and his non-verbal dramatic nuances – are on full display in Barry. But the show’s magnificent tonal balance is largely achieved from behind the camera. The
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