Plus: the latest TV news and reviews.
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Fraternal fates collide in Jude Law and Jason Bateman’s Black Rabbit | The Guardian

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Jason Bateman in Black Rabbit.

Fraternal fates collide in Jude Law and Jason Bateman’s Black Rabbit

Netflix’s newest crime caper is snappy and trashy, but with enough dimension to keep things fresh. Plus: High Potential and Gen V return

The one to watch

Black Rabbit
Netflix, from Thursday

It’s not so much Black Rabbit as black sheep as Jude Law’s New York bar-restaurant owner Jake finds his business, and eventually life, turned upside down by the sudden reappearance of his no-good brother Vince (Jason Bateman). Jake is just about getting by, running the titular nightspot and looking to take it upmarket – as we meet him, he’s sweating on the verdict of a prominent food critic. But Vince has a target on his back: he owes money to bad people and Jake is his last resort. It’s snappy, fast-talking trash, but with an undercurrent of fraternal tenderness that lends it a dimension beyond the generic. Jake may not want his brother in his world, but he doesn’t want to throw him to the wolves either. Phil Harrison

More picks of the week

Kaitlin Olson in High Potential.
camera High drama … Kaitlin Olson in High Potential. Photograph: Christine Bartolucci/Disney

High Potential
Disney+, from Wednesday

This comedy drama manages to be goofy fun and oddly sweet at the same time. Kaitlin Olson stars as Morgan, a single mother whose life choices have led her to neglect her prodigious IQ – until a night cleaning a police station sees her becoming a detective, almost by accident. This second season is less “case of the week” than the opener, centring on a killer who is terrorising LA and relishing an intellectual battle with Morgan. Meanwhile, the mystery surrounding Roman – the lost love of Morgan’s life and the father of her first child – gets deeper still. PH

Gen V
Prime Video, from Wednesday

This entertaining series – both a backstory to The Boys and an oddball teen drama in its own right – returns for a second season. Marie (Jaz Sinclair) has talked her way back into Godolkin University of crime fighting, where the next generation of superheroes are learning the ropes. But, as per the polemical undercurrent always evident in The Boys, the atmosphere has changed: the place is festooned with banners proclaiming “Make America Super Again”. As the university’s dark secrets bubble to the surface, our gifted teens face stark moral choices. PH

Haunted Hotel
Netflix, from Friday
“Welcome to The Undervale. We know about the smell, and we’re trying.” With a voice cast including Will Forte and Eliza Coupe, this adult animation (from the makers of Rick and Morty) revives the spooky holiday hotel trope to amusing effect. The premise isn’t a million miles away from Ghosts – the phantoms wandering the corridors of The Undervale do their best to be scary, but generally fail. Instead, owner Katherine, who is attempting to run the place with her formerly estranged brother Nathan, tries to promote the apparitions as a feature. Inevitably, the spectres aren’t as biddable as she’d like. PH

The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy
Apple TV+, from Friday
Given that he nominally hates travelling, it’s impressive that actor Eugene Levy has managed to tolerate prolonging this gently enjoyable series into a third season. Still, he soldiers bravely on. This time his bucket list sees him attempt to play cricket in India, take an open-top bus tour around London (more tourist than traveller really), get stuck into some St Patrick’s Day action in rural Ireland, and celebrate the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico. He’s avuncular, curious, patient and open-minded, in fact showing every sign of being anything but reluctant. PH

For local listings and availability, visit justwatch.com.

 

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Behind the screens

Hannah Einbinder.
camera Hannah Einbinder. Photograph: David Fisher/Shutterstock

At last night’s Emmys, Hacks star Hannah Einbinder used her outstanding supporting actress winner’s speech to send a simple but powerful message: “fuck Ice and free Palestine”. Backstage, Einbinder told reporters that “I feel like it is my obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the state of Israel because our religion and our culture is such an important and longstanding … institution that is really separate to the ethno-nationalist state”. Meanwhile, here’s a roundup of all the big winners (including a big night for Adolescence), and our pick of the red carpet fits.

Ireland has joined Slovenia in threatening to boycott next year’s Eurovision song contest if Israel is allowed to participate. “Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza,” Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ, said in a statement.

Stars of The White Lotus seem to have confirmed reports that the show’s fourth season is set in France. On the Emmys red carpet on Sunday, Parker Posey told E! that showrunner Mike White is in the south of France … but revealed little else about what might be next.

One for the parents: the BBC is working on a spin-off of the Oscar-nominated Aardman animation Robin Robin. Deadline reports that “the CGI spin-off is a 52 x 7-min episode series and is targeted at three-to-five year olds”.

What to read

Donald Trump in South Park.
camera Horny psychopath, tiny penis … Donald Trump in season 27 of South Park. Photograph: Comedy Central

As the latest season of South Park continues to pull no punches, Stuart Heritage examines what happens when cartoons try to take down governments.

Dinner time gore fests! Death by shagging! A dog’s derriere? As Downton Abbey comes to an end after 15 years, we run down the very best and worst moments.

“Every soap had a villain, and I was the resident”: Neighbours’ Stefan Dennis on Strictly, showbiz and getting the sack.

With Davina McCall and Liz Hurley competing for as little screen time as humanly possible, is there a cushier job in telly than presenting Stranded on Honeymoon Island or The Inheritance?

 

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