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Ozark is an American crime drama thriller web television series created by Bill Dubuque and produced by Media Rights Capital. Jason Bateman stars in the series; he also directed the first two and last two episodes of season 1. The first season is composed of nine one-hour episodes and a final 80-minute episode; it was released on Netflix on July 21, 2017.

Bateman portrays financial planner Marty Byrde, and Laura Linney portrays his wife, Wendy Byrde, a homemaker turned real estate agent. The series was renewed for a 10-episode second season on August 15, 2017.

Plot

Financial planner Marty Byrde suddenly relocates the family from Chicago to a summer resort community in the Missouri Ozarks after a money laundering scheme goes wrong, and he must pay off a debt to a Mexican drug lord. When the Byrdes arrive, they become entangled with local criminals as well.

Cast

Main

• Jason Bateman as Martin "Marty" Byrde, a self-employed financial advisor, based in Chicago. In 2007, he and his business partner began to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel.
• Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde, Marty's wife, and Charlotte and Jonah's mother. After moving to the Ozarks, Wendy becomes a realtor and starts to identify businesses for Marty to use to launder money.
• Sofia Hublitz as Charlotte Byrde, Marty and Wendy's 15-year-old daughter, who strives to return to Chicago.
• Skylar Gaertner as Jonah Byrde, Marty and Wendy's 13-year-old son, who begins to show strange interests in dead animals and guns.
• Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore, a 19-year-old woman who has the potential to become a dangerous criminal. She becomes part of Marty's money laundering operation and is in charge of the day-to-day operations of a local strip club, known as "Lickety Splitz".
• Jordana Spiro as Rachel Garrison, a local hotel owner and Byrde's business partner
• Jason Butler Harner as Roy Petty, an FBI agent investigating Marty
• Esai Morales as Camino Del Rio, a ruthless crime lord for a Mexican cartel for whom Marty launders money
• Peter Mullan as Jacob Snell, an established local crime lord
• Lisa Emery as Darlene Snell, Jacob's wife
• Janet McTeer as "a Chicago-based attorney who has links to the cartel. In making a deal with the devil, she becomes a potential threat to the Byrdes." (season 2)

Recurring

• Josh Randall as Bruce Liddell, Marty Byrde's Chicago business partner.
• Harris Yulin as Buddy Dyker, the Byrdes' terminally ill tenant.
• Marc Menchaca as Russ Langmore, Wyatt and Three's father, Ruth's uncle, and Boyd and Cade's brother.
• Christopher James Baker as Boyd Langmore, uncle of Ruth, Wyatt and Three, and Russ and Cade's brother.
• Charlie Tahan as Wyatt Langmore, Russ's elder son and Ruth's cousin.
• Carson Holmes as Three Langmore, Russ's younger son and Ruth's cousin.
• Trevor Long as Cade Langmore, Ruth's incarcerated father, brother of Russ and Boyd.
• McKinley Belcher III as Trevor Evans, FBI agent and Roy Petty's former lover.
• Robert C. Treveliar as Sheriff John Nix.
• Kevin L. Johnson as Sam Dermody, a real estate agent in the Ozarks.
• Adam Boyer as Bobby Dean, owner of the Lickety Splitz strip club.
• Michael Mosley as Pastor Mason Young.
• Bethany Anne Lind as Grace Young, Pastor Mason Young's pregnant wife.
• Evan George Vourazeris as Tuck, employee at the Blue Cat and Jonah's first friend in the Ozarks.
• Sharon Blackwood as Eugenia Dermody, Sam's controlling, overbearing mother who works for her son's real estate business.
• Joseph Melendez as Garcia, an enforcer for Del and watchdog of the Byrdes.
• Michael Tourek as Ash, an enforcer for the Snells.

Production

The show is set at a modest waterfront resort at Lake of the Ozarks, inspired by the Alhonna Resort and Marina, where series creator Dubuque worked as a dock hand while attending college in Missouri during the 1980s. Most of the shooting locations are in the Atlanta area at Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier, rather than at the Lake of the Ozarks, because of tax breaks offered by the state of Georgia. The film crew constructed a set in Georgia after extensively studying the Alhonna Resort property. Some scenes are filmed at Chicago locations. Only a few scenes of the pilot were shot in the city of Lake Ozark, Missouri; these include shots of the locally famous "Welcome To Lake Of the Ozarks" sign and the "Injun Joe Muffler Man" statue. The series was renewed for a 10-episode second season on August 15, 2017.

Opening credits

Graphic designer Fred Davis created a white letter 'O', which is featured on a black background at the beginning of each episode. Within the quartered circle of the 'O' are four symbols which foreshadow the main plot points in that episode. Additionally, each of these hand-drawn symbolic images spell out the word "Ozark".

Episodes

Reception

Ozark received positive reviews, with particular praise for Bateman's performance. On Metacritic, the series has a score of 67 out of 100 based on 28 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 64% approval rating, with an average score of 6.81 out of 10 based on 53 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Ozark hasn't yet reached the same level as the classic crime dramas to which it will inevitably be compared, but its satisfyingly complex plot – and a gripping performance from Jason Bateman – suggest greater potential."

Brian Lowry of CNN wrote, "While the fish-out-of-water concept is one of TV's oldest, Ozark carves out its own path with clever twists — including a late-in-the-run flashback explaining how the cartel came into his life — and the sheer strength of the performances." TV critic Sonia Saraiya of Variety wrote that Ozark is "smart, well-crafted, and says something," and that the series "comes together under Bateman's disarming and deceptively complex performance as Marty." Tim Dowling of The Guardian wrote "Laura Linney is, as ever, magnificent".

Critics compared Ozark positively to Breaking Bad, both of which involve a seemingly normal protagonist suddenly immersed in a world of crime. According to Film Daily, "Once you get past the surface similarities, Ozark shines as something special and inventive, an intense crime opera where the scenery is as much the star as anyone in the cast."

Accolades

References

1. Johnson, Julie (March 2, 2016). "New Netflix Series 'Ozark' Starring Jason Bateman Slated to Debut in 2017". Inquisitr. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
2. Andreeva, Nellie (February 25, 2016). "Netflix Picks Up Jason Bateman's Drama Series 'Ozark' From MRC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
3. ^ "Netflix Lands Jason Bateman Drama 'Ozark'". The Hollywood Reporter. February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
4. ^ "Jason Bateman's New Series Goes To Netflix, Will Be Dark Dangerous Drama". Slashfilm. February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
5. ^ "Ozark trailer: Exclusive look at Netflix's gritty, dark new drug trade drama". The Independent. May 25, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
6. ^ Petski, Denise (July 27, 2016). "Laura Linney To Star In Jason Bateman's Netflix Drama Series 'Ozark'Ozark". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
7. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 15, 2017). "'Ozark' Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
8. ^ Roshanian, Arya (October 25, 2016). "Netflix Drama 'Ozark' Adds Julia Garner Opposite Jason Bateman and Laura Linney". Variety. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
9. Goldberg, Lesley. "'Ozark' Recruits Janet McTeer for Season 2 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
10. ^ Keegan, Harrison (July 1, 2016). "Fame anticipated as Jason Bateman's Netflix series explores Lake of the Ozarks". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved May 1, 2017. Some Hollywood types, including Bateman, have been visiting Alhonna — as well as area restaurants, attractions and police officials — this spring and summer scouting locations, taking photos and measuring dimensions.
11. Watson, Nick (October 15, 2016). "Coming Netflix series to shoot scene at Flowery Branch restaurant". The Gainesville Times. Georgia (U.S. state). Retrieved May 1, 2017.
12. Coyne, Amanda C. (February 2, 2017). "Jason Bateman Netflix series filming in Gwinnett County". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
13. Metz, Nina (August 19, 2016). "Netflix series 'Ozark' to film a few days next week in Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
14. Wojdylo, Jesse. "Symbols in the O at the Beginning of Each Ozark Netflix Episode". Retrieved December 13, 2017.
15. Cobb, Kayla. "Here's What The Symbols in Ozark's Hypnotizing Opening Credits Mean". Decider.com. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
16. "Ozark – Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
17. "Ozark: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
18. Lowry, Brian (July 20, 2017). "Jason Bateman shines in Netflix's grim 'Ozark'". CNN. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
19. Saraiya, Sonia (July 12, 2017). "TV Review: Netflix's 'Ozark,' Starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney". Variety. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
20. "Nature is the true star of Netflix's impressive Ozark". Film Daily. July 19, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
21. ^ "Ozark - Awards". IMDb.com. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
22. Caranicas, Peter (April 7, 2018). "'Dunkirk,' 'Baby Driver' Score Motion Picture Wins at LMGI Awards". Variety. Retrieved April 8, 2018.

External links

• Ozark on Netflix
• Ozark at IMDb

• 2017 American television series debuts
• 2010s American television series
• 2010s American crime television series
• American crime drama television series
• English-language television programs
• Netflix original programming
• Ozarks in fiction
• Serial drama television series
• Television shows filmed in Georgia (U.S. state)
• Television shows set in Missouri
• Television series by Media Rights Capital
• Works about Mexican drug cartels