Ozark

[ NETFLIX ] Created by Bill Dubuque. Starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney.

I’ve long been a big fan of Jason Bateman, but this feels like the first time we’ve really seen him flex his muscles and it’s just fabulous to watch. It helps, of course, that he has the marvellous Laura Linney to bounce off. Bateman is mild-mannered financial adviser Marty Byrde, who suddenly uproots his family and relocates them from their seemingly very average suburban life in Chicago for a new life in the Ozarks. He has good reason. His sole client is Mexico’s second biggest drug cartel and he is very, very good at laundering their considerable cash resources. After some very bad things happen, he’s given one chance only to prove his loyalty and his worth. All that while trying to be a good father and husband. Ozark plays like a family drama set against the backdrop of a drug mob story. It’s a wonderfully effective storytelling ploy and at 10 episodes long is a perfect binge watch.