Jason Bateman’s new Netflix thriller borrows a trick from the “Ozark” playbook
In many ways, Netflix’s “Black Rabbit” is as straightforward as it gets.
The limited series follows its leads, estranged brothers Jake (Jude Law) and Vince Friedkin (Jason Bateman), as the latter’s debts force them into increasing danger. While “Black Rabbit” packs in more than a few gruesome twists along the way, it does not leave much room for interpretation or ambiguity. It is a thriller about family and deception, and it tells its story as matter-of-factly as it can.
That said, the show’s opening credits are not quite as straightforward. In every episode, a series of artistically rendered symbols flash by before the credits ultimately zoom out to reveal a black rabbit looking back at us. On paper, that seems pretty simple, right? What complicates things is that the symbols change every episode, which may leave some viewers scratching their heads.
Here is what you should know about the symbols featured in “Black Rabbit” and what they mean.
The “Black Rabbit” Symbols, Explained
As confusing as they may seem, the explanation for the changing symbols in the “Black Rabbit” credits is actually simple. The symbols themselves correspond to events in their respective episodes. Case in point: the TikTok logo flashes in the credits of Episode 2, in which a character makes an important and ominous TikTok post. Elsewhere, a wheelchair in the opening credits foreshadows the arrival of a noteworthy, wheelchair-bound character later in that same episode.
The symbols are clues of what is to come in each “Black Rabbit” episode. In a fun bit of creative synchronicity, another Netflix show did the same thing: “Ozark.” That series, which also starred and was partly directed by Jason Bateman, teases what is to come at the start of each of its episodes with a group of symbols.
Bateman’s multi-hyphenate involvement in “Black Rabbit” was always going to invite comparisons between it and “Ozark.” Few could have expected, though, that the former would invite those comparisons itself. In the case of both shows, the choice works as an effective way to promote further viewer engagement.
So every time you start a new episode of “Black Rabbit,” be sure to pay attention to the symbols that appear at the start. If you do, you will likely find yourself delighted by the surprising, sometimes subtle ways those clues eventually come to fruition throughout the eight-episode series.
“Black Rabbit” is streaming now on Netflix.
