The Mala Noche Recommends: "Barry," a Hilarious Dark-Comedy from HBO That Delves into the Minds of Both Hitmen and Actors.

Written by: Miguel Torrellas

Hollywood loves to see itself reflected on the screens. For years it has been said that films about moviemaking have a certain advantage when it comes to the Awards season because many of the industry’s professionals who do the voting and selection of the productions that are to be celebrated tend to favor those that deal with the world of show business itself. This trend has certainly been favorable for films such as “The Artist” or “La La Land,” which together managed to secure the incredible number of 24 Academy Award nominations, and has even affected television, with shows like “30 Rock” giving a peek at how the magic happens.

But for all of the love towards this kind of self-conscious, metafictional take, few stories tend to focus at one of the key parts of the machinery, the acting. Now, since the days of “All About Eve” and “Sunset Boulevard,” films have told stories that are actor-centric in one way or the other, but the focus on the craft of acting, the inner workings and techniques, is one far less common. That’s why HBO’s “Barry” is such an interesting examination of what acting means.

Created by and starring Bill Hader, along with “Silicon Valley’s” Alec Berg, the show tells the story of Barry Berkman, a highly skilled hitman that moves to L.A. and accidentally enters an acting class only to discover his true calling. Built around a pulpy setting that involves the Chechen mafia, the whole thesis of the series can be summed up in the words of Barry’s acting teacher Gene Cousineau, wonderfully played the Fonz himself Henry Winkler, just after successfully crying on command “It’s a teachable skill.”

Perhaps because of its abstract nature, few people realize the degree of practicality and training that comes with acting. Be it on the stage or the screen, the emotion that actors conjure comes from actual internalized experience. And so, when an actor cries, the trauma that they are revisiting is real. “Barry” is a clever enough show to tackle these kinds of ideas through an always entertaining setting and a 30-minute format, and by choosing a hitman as their protagonist, they managed to design a character that is always performing behind some mask.

While most of the strengths of the project come from its writing, there’s also some excellent camera work at play, with Hiro Murai, one of the most promising and interesting directors of the past few years, handling some of the most gruesome episodes. Additionally, an excellent cast of supporting players accompany Hader, including Anthony Carrigan, Stephen Root, and especially Sarah Goldberg, whose scenes with Barry exemplify the collaborative nature of the profession as well as the idea that two actors together are far more than the sum of its parts.

With a new Season expected to be released some time in the coming months, “Barry” has a lot to live up to from its first eight episodes, but I trust that Hader and Berg, who have promised a darker take on an already pretty grim story, will bring the same kind of offbeat blend of humor and pathos to the screens.