Bill Hader Acts His Ass Off Dropping Bodies, Jokes, and Emotions On HBO’s ‘Barry”

Barry on HBO accomplishes what few shows attempt (and even fewer succeed at) when it comes to weaving between humor and serious drama. Throw actual physical action and themes of killing into the mix, and that formula sounds even more difficult…but not impossible. I live for shows that can toe the line between the two extremes of humor and Drama. Bill Hader and Alec Berg’s Barry bodies the line, easy. We’re introduced to Bill Hader’s character Barry post doing what he does best. Snuffing people the fuck out. Hader is able to make Barry come off not only as a believable killer but a person who’s finding their line of work stagnant. He’s a hitman who’s just going through the motions. His relationship with his handler Fuches (Stephen Root) is evident to the audience immediately. Fuches sets Barry up with a job for a crime family in LA ran by Goran Pazar (Glenn Fleshler) and his right-hand man Noho Hank (Anthony Carrigan). Barry is hired to kill the man sleeping with Goran’s wife. Upon scouting the mark, Barry finds himself becoming involved in the mark’s acting class. The class provides a new outlook on life for Barry. A chance to be more than he was…which is where the series gets brilliant. An Artsy Hitman? Tell me more…

What I love about this show’s take is that Hader isn’t playing the typical killer. Barry knows what he is doing is wrong but justifies it with the belief that he’s killing lowlives. He’s a good person that that’s with the shits, for fucking real. Barry’s …