John Ales and Chris Diamantopoulos play brothers Nikos and Savvas, vengeful Greek gangsters whose violent streak is so graphically depicted that it confuses the series. Key supporting roles include Gene (Theo Rossi), Kid’s possibly emotionally unstable number one fan, whose introduction immediately gives away the much larger role he’ll play in his idol’s life. And Herschel is over-protective of Kid, almost like the brother Kid would’ve wanted, but he’s secretly sleeping with Billie, and makes a questionable demand of Kid in the finale. And while Todd looks out for his client, he’s aggressive in pushing Kid to sign up for a sequel to “Anti-Verse” despite Kid’s initial ambivalence - a move that also serves Todd’s self-interest. On the surface, they all appear to prioritize Kid’s interests and wellbeing, until a sequence of events brings the ethical compasses of several characters into question.Ĭarlton is the underachieving older brother mooching off Kid’s fame, whose motivations aren’t initially clear, but there are suggestions from the outset (his furtive glances at Kid, his ringing cellphone that he won’t answer, and other suspicious behavior) that he’s up to something possibly nefarious. After a night of partying during which his sobriety is tested, Kid becomes the center of an extortion racket that leaves several dead bodies in its wake, and a beleaguered Kid, as his introductory monologue gives away, does what he believes he must in order to hold onto what he has.Īlong for the ride is Kid’s minimal entourage, starting with his older brother, Carlton (Wesley Snipes), his manager Todd (Paul Adelstein), bodyguard Herschel (William Catlett), and chief writer Billie (Tawny Newsome). On the verge of a billion dollar box office grosser in a superhero film titled “Anti-verse” (which he co-stars in with Chris Hemsworth), Kid, a recovering alcoholic, is enjoying peak success, as he embarks on a nationwide comedy tour, with a stop in his hometown of Philadelphia. This apologia cuts to a title card that branches to form a maze with a convoluted layout, which intimates what you can expect from “True Story’s” seven roughly 40-minute episodes.Īs Kid, Hart is once again playing a version of himself - a wealthy superstar comedian and actor, who successfully co-parents with an ex.
New Movies: Release Calendar for December 10, Plus Where to Watch the Latest Filmsīest True Crime Shows on Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO MaxĮmmy Predictions: Best Limited Series - Was It 'The Queen's Gambit' All Along? 'The Expanse' Season 6 Review: Amazon's Flagship Sci-Fi Show Leaves with More Left to Say When a person’s back is against the wall, and they gotta do whatever they can to keep from losing what they got, that’s when you get to see who a person is.
But they don’t know what I did to get here or what it takes to stay here. The series opens with Hart as lead character Kid, seated, breaking the fourth wall, as he says, with dramatic urgency: “People think they know me because I make them laugh, or because they’ve been to a show. While Hart and co-star Wesley Snipes, in their first onscreen matchup, make for a high-octane duo, the script betrays that effort with uninspired writing from series creator, writer, and showrunner Eric Newman (“Narcos: Mexico”) that doesn’t quite make darkness its ally, and leans too much on plot conveniences and a predictability that mutes suspense. It’s a commendable risk on his part that doesn’t fully exploit its potential to be the thoroughly engrossing episodic with a profound message that it probably thinks it is. Netflix’s limited series “ True Story” is a departure for star Kevin Hart in his television drama debut, as he wrestles with material that’s darker than his usual schtick.