Dark drug drama gets you hooked
Another week, another winner from Netflix – even if it does bear more than a passing resemblance to Breaking Bad.
This time round the conflicted good guy is Marty (played by Jason Bateman) and the tangled web he weaves puts you in mind of Brian Cranston’s conflicted Walter White.
Marty is a Chicago financial adviser who launders money for a Mexican drug cartel on the side – and his wife knows exactly what he’s up to from the get-go.
You’ll be hooked after the first episode as he relocates the entire family to rural Missouri where his trigger-happy boss has ordered him to quickly “clean” $8million – or die.
His straight-talking missus Wendy, played by Oscar-nominated Laura Linney, struggles to adjust to life at the Lake of the Ozarks which is nothing more than a series of creeks dotted with bars and holiday homes.
Its redneck residents specialise in hustling tourists for cash so a suave city slicker who seems keen to invest in shorefront businesses sets alarm bells ringing.
Marty spins lie after lie to throw them off the scent and before he knows it he’s spinning plates to keep the FBI, the Mexicans and tough teenage gang leader Ruth off his back.
As if that wasn’t enough to cope with his 15-year-old daughter whines about the lack of things to do in a tough neighbourhood with little going for it outside the summer tourist season.
His younger son lacks guidance and shows signs of going off the rails but instead of devoting himself to steering him on the right path Marty is forced to delve deeper into a murky world of crime and double-dealing to stay ahead of the game. Ozark is not a million miles away from Breaking Bad’s plot but it’s grittier and life in the shadow of the shady Missouri creeks is a lot different to the baking sun of the Arizona desert. Bateman is better known for comedic roles in the likes of Arrested Development but he revealed he enjoyed playing Marty so much he’s already considering a second series. He said: “It’s an interesting thing, or at least it’s interesting to me, to explore how much a family can take on and justify and get comfortable with, in the pursuit of security, prosperity, and a next step in the American dream pursued.
“How much is too far? The intelligent mind can justify a lot of questionable things.
“Now that the kids are aware of what’s going on, let’s see what they can support, too.
“When you know your mom and dad are doing things that are not idyllic, you start to see your parents as peers, and that’s not the healthiest thing at an early age.
“We’ll see how all of that unravels, if we go back for another [season].”
Bateman also steps into the role of director for half of the episodes, and the stellar cast includes Esai Morales, Julia Garner, Marc Menchaca and Jason Butler Harner.
All episodes of Ozark are available on Netflix from this weekend.