By Gabriela Gutierrez
In a comedy with a dark twist, Kevin Hart pushes the limit on his acting career in the new limited series “True Story.”
The series is binge worthy, only for those who can stomach watching humans crumble to their lowest points.
A roller coaster from start to finish, “True Story” follows the life of Kid, played by Hart.
Kid is a comedian who makes it to the top.
He goes from being homeless to being a successful comedian, actor and millionaire.
Kid builds his life up after working hard to defeat his addiction to drugs and alcohol.
He has his life together. This changes when his older brother Carlton, played by Wesley Snipes, steps back into his life.
Indebted to Greek gangsters and about to lose his restaurant, Carlton weaves his way back into his brother’s life because he needs money.
Kid, never knowing how to cut his brother loose, plays into his antics once again.
During a night of partying and drinking with Carlton, Kid fails to stay sober.
The next morning when he wakes up, Carlton tells him that the woman he spent the night with is dead.
Kid naturally freaks out. He and Carlton begin working together to protect one another from the law.
Both Kid and Carlton experience extremely traumatic events, changes them drastically in a short amount of time.
Hart’s comedic genius is taken to another level in this series.
His role reveals how a comedian is still a human being at the end of the day. Hart does this in a less conventional way.
Kid is put up against a wall several times throughout the series and at times the scenes are difficult to watch.
Perhaps seeing a beloved comedian submerged in humanity’s dark nature is what makes this series that much more difficult to watch.
The irony is that this is possibly the point of the series.
It takes the veil away from the façade many comedians live with to keep their audiences laughing and happy.
Hart’s role as Kid is simple on paper.
He is funny, oblivious, enthusiastic and does his best to be a good father and friend.
The one thing that resonates with Kid throughout the film is his appreciation for loyalty.
Although the series is binge worthy it is not without flaws.
At times, Hart lacks the emotional strength necessary to match the situations he is in.
His chemistry with his on-screen brother is also difficult to believe at times because there seems to be little chemistry between the two actors.
It is possible that their lack of chemistry is intentional, as the two brothers butt heads multiple times throughout the series.
However, the series would have benefited from the two actors having real chemistry that would have made the series stronger.
In terms of chemistry, Hart displays a stronger bond with his on-screen bodyguard Herschel, played by William Catlett.
Hart also develops a bond with on-screen fan Geene, played by Theo Rossi. Their bond is more conventional than anything else.
Rossi’s character is possibly the most interesting of all.
He is seemingly perturbed but provides the innocent nature needed to contrast the rest of the series.
He allows the audience to live vicariously through him as the audience can be considered fans themselves.
Directors Stephen Williams and Hanelle M. Culpepper both have a history of directing shows filled with suspense and drama.
Their experience and expertise is shown successfully in “True Story.”
The series revolves around creating a dramatic and intense atmosphere that works well with the story-line.
Hart’s efforts to star in more serious roles are not lost in “True Story.”
With his work on films like “Fatherhood,” directed by Paul Weitz and “The Upside,” directed by Neil Burger, it looks like Hart is trying to diversify his career.
“True Story” is currently streaming on Netflix.