“Barry” is a newer show on HBO. It can also be streamed on HBOMax. Recently, I watched the entirety of the first two seasons of “Barry,” along with what is currently released for the third season. The show is remarkable and always leaves you wanting more. There is a very balanced mixture of intensity and comedy that will either leave you laughing out loud, or shocked with your jaw hitting the floor.
The show stars former “Saturday Night Live” star, Bill Hader, as an ex-Marine who becomes a hitman named Barry. While doing one of his jobs, Barry discovers that he has a passion for acting and wants to quit his hitman gig. Barry joins an acting class in L.A., meets a girl, and has this secret of killing that leaves you anxious for him. The show goes on to visually display the ups and downs of his struggle to act and his struggle to try and quit being a hitman in the form of a drama/comedy.
The acting in the show is never cringey, but always seamless and phenomenal. It’s a bit ironic that these professional actors play amateur actors on the show, but that also adds to the charm and comedy. It is hard to find shows these days that do not have any cringey acting in them. The backstories of the characters are also so interesting and meaningful.
Anxiety is a key factor in the show that always makes audiences tune in. Barry is such an unhinged character due to all of his experiences from war and being stationed in Afghanistan, making it almost impossible to know what his next move is. Barry goes from rehearsing his lines for his silly acting class to shooting someone in a snap. There is also the looming tension of Barry and the LAPD. You do not want him to get caught for murder, but you are also curious and intrigued to know if the police will ever find out.
While the show is an equal give-and-take of comedy and anxiety, there are also elements of great writing and directing that are just undeniable. Great writing is shown in “Barry” through what is said by the characters and the plot. Great directing is shown through unique and focused camera angles, which also help move the story along. You can tell when there is a close-up on someone’s face what the focus for the scene is or what message is trying to be conveyed.
This masterpiece of a show is worth watching and most definitely worth your time. “Barry” is undoubtedly the next television hit that will have a cult following.
“Barry” airs every Sunday night at 10 p.m. on the HBO channel and on HBOMax.