True Story (2021) Review: Goes Out the Window Quick

True Story is a crime-thriller TV series created by Eric Newman and stars Kevin Hart, Wesley Snipes, and Tawny Newsome, alongside other cast members. The series has 7 episodes, each around 30 – 60 minutes long.

Netflix describes the series as:

A world-famous comedian desperately searches for a way out after a night in Philadelphia with his brother threatens to sabotage more than his success.

– True Story review does not contain spoilers –

Kevin Hart seems to be in every piece of media these. Comedy is his forte, but right now we are watching a Hart series which is an out-and-out thriller. The series, which starts off with a promise of twisty and turny goes down the done and dusted route of a surprise dead body and getting rid of that body… and a bit more.

Unfortunately for Hart though, True Story feels more like a gig to get Hart into more serious roles and showcase his range than anything else. And sure, Hart is not the worst in this series. But when the TV show with 7 episodes is made for the star instead of the story, it kinda feels fruitless to watch.

That being said, I wouldn’t say that True Story doesn’t have its moments of interest and intrigue. The white guy going the n-word route is something a lot of people face. The real shock comes from Carlton and Hart’s character Kid’s relationship with him. I mean, it’s very toxic and difficult to watch, to be honest. Kid knows he should cut his brother out, but he just doesn’t. Instead, he tries to win his brother’s approval all the time. So, what’s the point here? How does their complex relationship work? Well, we don’t really explore that.

And before you know it, there’s a dead body. That’s the problem with True Story, it tries to provide all the tell-tale plots of a good thriller but doesn’t explore what’s right in front of it. The complex relationship between the brothers and their jealousy would have been a better plot point to explore and break down, but we don’t do that. The dead body and the introduction of another character are fine but aren’t as intriguing as what’s already on the plate.

True Story tries to see how absolutely messy it can get. No, really. It’s like it tries to see what worse thing it can do next to provide that shock factor. Which, to be fair, can be interesting but feels kind of like a chore this time. That’s probably because, again, it’s more interesting to dissect the characters themselves who have more going on for them personally than the rest of the plot.

Also Read: Hawkeye Review (Ep 1-2): A Good Start With Comfort Vibes

Like, for example, 6 months sober Kid gets drunk off his mind one night with Carlton egging him on to just take one more sip. It would’ve been great for us to see him the next day sans the dead body and facing the consequences and the moral dilemma of falling off the wagon and going down the same road, how it impacts his self-esteem and career as well as his relationship with his soon-to-be ex-wife and son. But we get none of that. These big things get swept under the rug to bring in a plot point that’s unnecessary, after a while.

Having said that, True Story 2021 looks wonderful. The cinematography is excellent and the score is nice. So that’s a breather. Plus, performances from Wesley Snipes and Billy Zane are too delicious to pass up on.

Summing up: True Story

True Story series is a weirdly frustrating watch because the series doesn’t focus on what needs to be said. Instead, it goes down a route that tests your patience to a new level. It’s a decent watch but feels more like the Kevin Hart story than anything else.

True Story is streaming on Netflix.

Also Read: Disney’s Encanto Review: Magical and Soul-Stirring