Critic Reviews

Barry scores as a wildly original and sensationally entertaining hybrid of dark comedy and delirious action. ... Barry kills--in every way imaginable. [19 Mar-1 Apr 2018, p.13]

One of the best new comedies of the last few years. This clever surprise is an eight-episode series that starts strongly and only gets better as its plot becomes more brilliantly complex and its characters are more fully developed. And it’s a wonderful showcase for Bill Hader’s dry sense of humor.

Barry proves that by honing in on a specific narrative with razor sharp focus and excellent craftsmanship, you can stand out. You don’t need a massive budget or a high-concept premise. You just need good storytellers willing to put in the work, and talented performers ready to play.

Let me just declare how far over the moon I am about Barry, a funny, violent, gripping and masterfully melancholy half-hour show created by Hader and “Silicon Valley” producer Alec Berg. ... From start to finish, it’s just one hell of a show.

Everything about the series is so carefully crafted, though, that even its smallest moments are pure joy (most especially when it riffs on cut-rate movies and TV series in the roles Sally and others get). But there is never a danger of superficiality, even when a recurring theme is how Barry is able to achieve this duel life largely because the people around him are so self-absorbed.

While the new episodes maintain the show’s satiric view of self-interested Hollywood types, a poignant theme emerges which represents an evolution for the series. As an introspective Barry takes inventory of his past misdeeds, the show’s storylines cohere around the reflexive lies people tell themselves, and the myriad factors which comprise the masks they present to the world.

The best comedy on not just HBO but all of television (at least while “Atlanta” isn’t on the air). The first three episodes of “Barry” are flat-out brilliant, balancing the show’s dry wit and humor with its increasingly dark edge that sometimes makes it feel more like “Breaking Bad” than a traditional laugher.

The darkness gets darker, yet “Barry” is sticking to its comedic intent and half-hour format. This is remarkable, given that it plays as intensely and satisfyingly as “Breaking Bad” once did.

The third season take a little while to build momentum but that’s intentional. These characters are lost emotionally and disconnected physically for a few episodes, trying to figure out for themselves what the next chapter looks like. It makes sense that the storytelling drifts a bit, but it really locks in around episode 4 and the next two are among the best in the history of the series. ... It’s also just still so funny and smart.

It’s this effortless juggling of tones and stories that keep “Barry” from wearing out its high-concept premise this far into its run.