cooblimey

Black Rabbit has received criticism for there not being enough empathy with the central characters. While I would agree with this to a degree, Bateman and Law put in some powerful performances that are worth watching. My wife and I ended the series with a discussion about their relationship, so it must have left some kind of impression on us.

It's another one of those series where you need to work your way through the chaotic first episode before settling into the lives of the characters.

The sibling relationship between Bateman and Law, while not perfect, was convincing enough to be compelling. Bateman in particular was a force of nature. It's one of those shows that might not leave a lasting impression, but is entertaining enough to give it a go.

My partner and I watched the first season in a couple of days. I realise in retrospect it wasn't because we were hooked and wanting to find out what happened next, but because so little happens at such a slow pace we were desperate for the story to move on. I understand the pace of this series is well documented, but after the twenty third lingering shot of an expressionless Yamato, staring beyond the camera wallowing in self pity for twenty seconds without moving a muscle, the show just got frustrating.

Ah, a second season! Maybe it picks up! It doesn't. At this point my partner exclaimed "enough" and refused to watch it. I tried the second episode but realised it was more of the same. We're done with it.

Perhaps Invasion is popular with kids, but the while the story of Caspar is quite intriguing, the group of school kids in the second season is also frustrating. Expletives abound, this is no gang from Stranger Days you can get on board with. I still don't know the names of half of them, and honestly, I don't really care. This is not the fault of the young actors themselves, all of whom put on great performances (their finest hour was in the quarry, where things started turning a bit Lord of the Flies), but down to the editing.

The only character I was gunning for was Aneesha. Maybe when all this is over I'll come back to the final episode and find her jubilantly standing atop a mountain, holding an alien's head in one hand, and her husband's in the other.

There is little more to add to what has already been written about this mini series. It really is a tour de force by every actor in every scene. The last episode was criticised as being the weakest only because the previous three were outstanding, but I disagree. It was a necessary roundup that completes the story, not by offering the answers we were looking for, because few are given, but by throwing out more questions. In fact, the only 'conclusion' was Graham's award-worthy performance in that final scene that will leave a lasting impression.

And while you're marveling at these compelling performances, consider the technical aspects of the one-shot takes. The camera following through windows, the switch from living room to the front of the van (followed by five minutes of dialogue from a moving vehicle), and the panoramic drone shots following on from a close shot from inside a car. The cinematography matches the performances: gob-smacking, astounding... and leaving the viewer with more questions than answers. Kudos to the DP.

Don't come to this series for a nicely wrapped story with a cosy conclusion. If you come away with as many questions as you do answers, the series attained what it set out to do.