Mr Inbetween is an Australian black comedy-crime drama television series (Image: Fox Showcase)
When it comes to dark, morbidly-funny crime dramas, many automatically think of the iconic series Breaking Bad. However, a lesser-known Aussie show has been gaining traction as a “hidden gem” that could potentially dethrone Vince Gilligan’s multi-award-winning series as the crime-comedy king.
Critics have lavished praise on the show, calling it “tremendous” and highlighting its exceptional writing, directing and acting. If you’re a fan of Breaking Bad, it might be time to give this unsung hero a try.
The show, which first premiered in 2018, is now streaming in its entirety on Disney+, with three seasons to binge to your heart’s content. Set in Sydney, the program centers around Ray Shoesmith, a hitman-for-hire with a code of conduct that often leads him down some pretty twisted paths.
Played to perfection by Scott Ryan, who also created the series based on his 2005 movie The Magician, Ray’s story is a masterful balancing act of dark and light, with moments of humor expertly woven in to break the tension. So if you’re ready for a show that’s action-packed, thrilling, tense, touching, and downright side-splitting, look no further than the unforgettable Mr. Inbetween.
The series Mr Inbetween is taking the critics by storm with a sterling 95% Rotten Tomatoes score. The Age’s Debi Enker hailed it as “a dark, glittering gem”, while Tim Goodman of The Reporter highlighted that “The secret sauce of Mr Inbetween that’s essential is that the show is funny. You can’t have a dark heart like this without leavening it with humour,” reports the Mirror.
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Fans are claiming Mr Inbetween is better than Breaking Bad (Image: LFI/Photoshot)
IndieWire’s Ben Travers praised it for being “smart, wickedly funny”. Each episode bears the directional mark of Nash Edgerton, brother to silver screen star Joel Edgerton. The Australian’s Graeme Blundell applauded: “Edgerton, as director, achieves a delicate counterpoint between the ironic and the gruesome, no easy task – it is really very funny.”
Audience reactions mirror critic acclaim. Shaun R shared on Rotten Tomatoes: “Outstanding in how it seamlessly combines genuinely funny moments with moments of tragedy and violence.
A great character who is realistically casual yet deadly. ” Tim K boasted it’s “easily the best Aussie show ever made and among the best series of all time”, whereas an unnamed reviewer declared it “the best TV series to ever come out of Australia”, lamenting “criminal that more people don’t know about this show”.
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Mr Inbetween is an Australian black comedy-crime drama television series which premiered on FX on 25 September 2018 in the United States,[1] followed by Fox Showcase in Australia on 1 October 2018.[2] The series is a serialisation of the 2005 feature film The Magician, which was created, written by and starred Scott Ryan.[3] Ryan reprises his lead role and is also the writer for the series, which is directed by Nash Edgerton.[1] (Image: Fox Showcase)
discussion threads echo these sentiments, with one fan professing: “One of, if not the best television series ever. Perfect with zero fat and zero filler. I consider it better than Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul and I love those. ”.
Several fans have dubbed it a “hidden gem”, binge-watching the series in just days. On , a user hailed the series finale as “brilliant”, saying: “In any given episode, it can veer from dark to funny to tragic to adrenaline-inducing.”
Enthusiasm is contagious amongst newfound fans who are urging others to dive in. On platform X, Con_William recommended last month: “If you haven’t yet seen Mr Inbetween, do yourself a favour and check it out. Brilliant show.”
While Andrew Clark on March 1 advised: “Anyone looking for a TV hidden gem should try Mr Inbetween – it’s absolutely superb. Just finished all 3 seasons.”
Mr Inbetween is an Australian black comedy-crime drama television series which premiered on FX on 25 September 2018 in the United States,[1] followed by Fox Showcase in Australia on 1 October 2018.[2] The series is a serialisation of the 2005 feature film The Magician, which was created, written by and starred Scott Ryan.[3] Ryan reprises his lead role and is also the writer for the series, which is directed by Nash Edgerton.[1] (Image: Fox Showcase)
GmanLives echoed similar sentiments in February: “Mr Inbetween is without a doubt one of the best TV series to ever come out of Australia. Easily one of the most bingeable shows ever made as well.”
A sentiment shared by Eliot Ranch who earlier said: “If you’re looking for an amazing TV show to watch, Mr Inbetween is criminally overlooked. Amazing talent from @nashedgerton and Scott Ryan. It’s some of the best storytelling I’ve seen in years. Be prepared to have your emotions carted round the houses though. Oof.”
Josey Wales last month succinctly put it: “If you haven’t seen the show Mr Inbetween you’re missing out.”
Mr Inbetween is available to stream on Disney+