Black Rabbit: Netflix's 8-Part Thriller With 7 Emmy Nominations Is A Perfect One-Night Binge

Published Sep 9, 2026, 5:37 PM EDT Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 3000 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions. Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston. Netflix's 8-part thriller series with 7 Emmy nominations is a perfect one-night binge, especially with the 2026 Emmys set to air in just a matter of days. Featuring a stellar cast and a rock star creative team, this Netflix crime drama was somewhat forgotten as a 2026 Emmys candidate since it was released back in September 2025, but has emerged as a serious contender in several Limited or Anthology Series categories. With just eight episodes, there's still plenty of time to binge the entire series before Emmys are handed out next week. Netflix's dark horse in the 2026 Emmys race is Black Rabbit, a crime thriller series starring Jason Bateman and Jude Law that earned 7 nominations, including lead actor and director (limited/anthology) for Bateman. The series earned 13.6 million views in its first two weeks but never rose to the level of Netflix's best crime series like Ozark in terms of critical acclaim. With the 2026 Emmys coming up on Monday, September 14, it's worth a quick binge this week, whether it's your first time watching or as a re-watch nearly a year after it premiered. Jason Bateman & Jude Law Shine In Netflix’s Dark Crime Thriller One of the most impressive aspects of Black Rabbit on Netflix is the powerful lead performances by Jason Bateman and Jude Law, who play the Friedkin brothers in the gritty crime thriller. Jake Friedkin (Law) is a successful restaurant owner and socialite in downtown Manhattan, where he has made a name for himself thanks to his highly-rated bar and grill called the Black Rabbit. Jake's life is seemingly perfect as a respected bachelor until his brother, Vince (Bateman), shows up in New York on the run from the police, looking for help. Jake's relationship with Vince is the backbone of the series, as the two are bound by an unyielding sense of loyalty, even though Jake knows that Vince always brings trouble with him wherever he goes. This involves a local gang, led by the revered Joe Mancuso, played by Academy Award winner Troy Kotsur, who jump at the opportunity to pressure Vince for an outstanding balance soon after he gets back to New York. Even when things look to be on the rise for Vince after Jake reluctantly takes him under his wing, Vince can never seem to escape his past and the pain he's inflicted on others. Black Rabbit also serves as a tense psychological drama and carries a frantic energy to it similar to movies such as Uncut Gems and Marty Supreme. Jake tries his best to take care of his employees, including his head chef Roxie (Amaka Okafor) and bartender Anna (Abbey Lee), but selfishly puts the image of the Black Rabbit above all else. As the story plays out, it becomes clear that Jake's squeaky-clean image is all a facade, and he's much more like his older brother, Vince, than he seems to be at the start of the series. Black Rabbit Is Easy To Start & Finish Before The 2026 Emmys Courtesy of Netflix Black Rabbit is one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix before the 2026 Emmys next week. Not only is it relatively short, with just 8 episodes and a total runtime of roughly 7 and a half hours, but its lightning-fast pace makes it feel like much less time has passed as you're surging from episode to episode. Black Rabbit is also much better than its 66% Rotten Tomatoes score implies, as evidenced by its 7 Emmy nominations and stronger 80% RT audience score. Black Rabbit is perfect for fans of fast-moving crime thriller series with great performances across the board. If you enjoyed series like Ozark, Breaking Bad, Mare of Easttown, Bloodline, MobLand, Mayor of Kingstown, or Black Doves, then Black Rabbit should align perfectly with your preferences, as they are all dark, complex, and gritty. The series was created by Zach Baylin (The Order) and co-directed by three previous Ozark directors, including Bateman, Laura Linney, and Ben Semanoff. With the countdown to the 2026 Emmys getting smaller, consider Black Rabbit a must-watch on Netflix this weekend. Black Rabbit 9/10 Release Date 2025 - 2025 Network Netflix Cast Jason Bateman Vince Friedken