The miniseries Black Bird is based on the autobiographical novel In with the Devil: a Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene and Hillel Levin. The program was developed and produced by best-selling novelist Dennis Lehane.
In his career, Lehane has published more than a dozen books. His novels have given rise to outstanding film adaptations, such as Mystic River (2003), Shutter Island (2010), Gone Baby Gone (2007) and Live by Night (2016). In addition, Dennis Lehane has worked as a screenwriter for renowned programs, including The Wire and Broadwalk Empire.
Black Bird is a dark and disturbing prison story that adds to the tremendous rise of the true crime genre. The Apple TV+ adaptation uses a psychological thriller to tell the true story of James “Jimmy” Keene Jr. (Taron Egerton), a young drug dealer who enters a maximum security prison with the goal of getting a serial killer to confess.
Like much of Lehane’s work, Black Bird is a taut, stealthy tale with important moral dilemmas.
This crime drama is made up of six chapters and to date has received eloquent praise from critics, especially towards the cast. In this regard, the show has a luxury acting crew headed by Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser.
The Plot: Befriending a serial killer
Black Bird tells the story of James “Jimmy” Keene Jr., a successful athlete who becomes a drug dealer. The young Illinois native is portrayed as the kind of guy everyone would want to be around: charming, attractive, and with a promising future in soccer. However, Jimmy’s carefree and joyful days end all too soon as a result of his illicit activities.
The soccer player and drug dealer’s life is turned upside down when he is arrested by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and sentenced to ten years in prison without bail.
However, a few months into his incarceration, the young man receives an unusual proposal from the FBI.
Keene is offered the option of collaborating with the police and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Beaumont in a delicate investigation. If he accepts, James “Jimmy” Keene Jr. must infiltrate a maximum security prison and befriend Larry DeWayne Hall (Paul Walter Hauser), a suspected murderer who is about to be released on appeal.
The fact is, Larry Hall is a man suspected of kidnapping, raping and murdering several young women and the FBI is up against the clock to find hard evidence before the accused is released. Basically, the authorities’ plan is for Keene to gain Hall’s trust to the point of obtaining a definitive confession. In return, Jimmy will be released and completely exonerated.
What would we be willing to do for freedom?
Not without hesitation, Jimmy agrees to be locked up in a prison for dangerous criminals and risk his own life. Implicitly, he accepts the arduous task of entering Larry’s disturbed and sick mind. It’s fair to say that the ex-football player tries everything and tests his own limits; at its core, the show examines the redemption of the anti-hero, toxic masculinity, and the high price of conquering freedom.
Showrunner Dennis Lehane takes a special interest in exploring the peculiar dynamic that develops between the prisoners. Jimmy and Larry are surprisingly close yet opposite to each other at the same time. The relationship between the two is like a game of chess, each guarding his own strategy while trying to advance on the other’s turf.
The long conversations between the inmates are hypnotic, lurid, uncomfortable, and exhausting. Especially as Larry talks about his crimes with sickening aplomb and then recants everything. He denies every word, claiming that his stories are not real, but dreams he has had at some point. Larry confesses his most macabre nature and almost immediately hides in a very confused facade, as if his brain had malfunctioned and he was disconnected from reality.
Black Bird makes the viewer question, again and again, whether Larry is a serial killer, or a serial confessor. The acting duel between Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser is not to be missed.
It should be noted that the story is not limited to what happens inside the penitentiary. The drama branches out to show how Larry Hall’s arrest came about, the attempts of the authorities to gather concrete evidence, and the family breakdown after Jimmy’s incarceration.
About the cast
Black Bird is supported by the exceptional performances of Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ray Liotta.
Taron Egerton (Rocketman, Kingsman, Robin Hood), best known for his feature film roles, gives his all to his character. Behind a seemingly unflappable exterior, Egerton succumbs to vulnerability, helplessness and pain. Beyond the handsome, muscular, manipulative type, the actor also takes an important psychological and emotional journey; watching Jimmy suffer in silence and squirm at the atrocities he hears from Larry is powerful and revealing.
Paul Walter Hauser (Richard Jewell, BlacKkKlansman, I, Tonya) delivers the best performance of his brief but distinguished career. Hauser is shown as a withdrawn, antisocial, and taciturn man. -He oscillates between childlike and menacing states. Hauser’s portrayal of Larry Hall is both repulsive and empathetic, an incredibly complex characterization. His work as Larry Hall has earned him prestigious awards.
In addition, the show features strong supporting performances by Greg Kinnear and Sepideh Moafi. Meanwhile, Ray Liotta (Cocaine Bear, Every Last Secret) shines in his latest role. The actor, who has since died, manages to move the viewer in the role of Big Jim, a decorated cop and penitent progenitor. Liotta brings to life a man haunted by death, who blames himself for the fate of his only son, Jimmy.
What happened to the real Larry Hall?
In real life, Larry DeWayne Hall ended up confessing to several murders – including that of Tricia Reitler. However, the alleged serial killer also recanted these confessions.
It is speculated that Hall killed more than 50 women and girls between approximately 1980 and 1993. This would make him one of the most prolific serial killers of all time in the United States.
Currently, the alleged killer remains incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution Butner Medium II in North Carolina, where he is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
What is the verdict?
Black Bird is a great story. The chilling Apple TV+ series is intense, complex, and able to transcend the overused and more obvious formulas of prison dramas.
Thanks to Dennis Lehane’s dense writing, the brilliant acting cast, Michaël R. Roskam’s engaging direction, and the faithful adaptation of James Keene’s memoir, Black Bird has managed to impress critics and keep audiences hooked.
Black Bird may not be a perfect series, but it is an unsettling and heartbreaking thriller that deserves every second on screen. Undoubtedly, the fact that it is a true story generates even more interest and curiosity.