Although there are some incredible true-crime TV shows out there, the best one on Apple TV+ is so disturbing that it is hard to watch more than once. The Apple TV+ show features many unforgettable performances and boasts an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%.
True crime is perhaps one of the strangest TV genres because of how its subject is often incredibly terrifying and hard to digest, yet we cannot help but watch it. It is believed that the obsession with watching true-crime shows often stems from one’s innate desire to experience danger and fear, but in a safe environment.
By exposing viewers to some of the most heinous crimes, the best true-crime shows manage to do just that. However, every once in a while, a show of the genre is so well-crafted that it completely immerses audiences into its dark drama. Apple TV+’s best true-crime series achieves this rare feat, which reduces its rewatch value but makes it an incredible one-time watch.
Paul Walter Hauser Delivers An Incredibly Chilling Performance As Serial Killer In Black Bird
Apple TV+’s Black Bird is based on the 2010 autobiographical novel In with the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene. The show tells the story of James “Jimmy” Keene, who, after getting arrested, gets an opportunity for a fully commuted sentence if he is able to elicit a confession from suspected killer Larry Hall.
Taron Egerton does an incredible job of portraying all the newfound fears and anxieties his character experiences once he ends up behind bars. However, Paul Walter Hauser steals the show with his chilling portrayal of Larry Hall.
In the show’s early moments, Hauser carries himself with an eerie innocence that makes it hard not to wonder whether his character is even capable of committing the suspected crimes. However, things gradually get even more unsettling as Larry starts warming up to Jimmy and showing his true colors.
One of the most horrifying sequences from the series is when Larry finally confesses his murders to Jimmy, while Jimmy is forced to pretend to be sympathetic and trusting. Hauser’s performance in this scene made the hair behind my neck stand up, and I could not help but feel Jimmy’s disgust and revulsion through the screen.
Owing to these aspects, Black Bird proves to be an unflinching and psychologically intense true-crime series that keeps viewers on their toes throughout its runtime. However, it becomes so immersive and raw sometimes because of its storytelling and performances that it is hard to watch it twice.
True-Crime Fans Binge Black Bird In Just Six Hours
With a runtime of just six episodes, Black Bird wastes no time on unnecessary side plots or story developments. It closely sticks to the subject at hand and keeps its storytelling taut and intense. Viewers who enjoy gripping true-crime shows can finish watching the show in less than six hours, making it the perfect series for a weekend binge.
Did You Know: Paramount Pictures and GK-Films had initially purchased rights for the original story, and Brad Pitt was approached to play James “Jimmy” Keene in a planned movie adaptation.