The Aussies have always done things their own way. From cuisine to sport to the entertainment industry, there is a different, edgier tone to the Land Down Under productions that you don’t see anywhere else. George Miller‘s Mad Max franchise is a good example of what a unique Australian film looks like. However, on the small screen, there is a criminally underrated show that also serves as a brilliant example of the eccentric nature of the island continent and nation. Mr. Inbetween originally aired on FX from 2018-2021. It’s directed by Joel Edgerton‘s brother, Nash Edgerton, and stars Scott Ryan in the lead role of Ray Shoesmith, a tough-as-nails man for hire who works among the seediest and sordid gangsters around. In the 26 thirty-minute episodes now available to stream on Hulu, he finds himself in all kinds of bizarre and harrowing experiences with only his straight-up savvy and intelligence to rely on. Mr. Inbetween is based on the same character Ryan played in the cult film The Magician, which he also produced and directed. It is one of the most binge-able shows available and is a thrilling ride that can be enjoyed in less than two days.
What Is ‘Mr.Inbetween’ About?
Ray is a man who wears many hats. He’ll be a knockaround guy if you need to exert some fear and intimidation, a bagman if you need a past-due debt collected, a bouncer at your strip club, and even knock somebody off for you if he agrees they deserve it. But regardless of what you want the streetwise gangster to do, you know he will always be a step ahead. His services are discreet, and Ryan plays the character with a smirk and a devil-may-care nonchalance that makes him easy to root for. In a world full of disreputable miscreants, Ray is always morally one rung above the scumbags he is shaking down. To be blunt, Ray is just a cool 40-something guy in a show that feels like an Australian version of Ray Donovan if he were in a Guy Ritchie film.
However, patrolling the streets of the small Aussie town is just half of what Ray is about. He is also a single father who desperately wants to keep his life with his daughter, Brittany (Chika Yasumura), separate from his ugly line of work. He loves telling his precious and precocious little girl fairy tale stories about unicorns and will be beating the hell out of a poor bastard in the next scene. On top of his messy life as a single father, he is the caretaker of his dying brother, Bruce (Nicholas Cassim), who he loves unconditionally, and an ever-evolving romance with Aly (Brooke Satchwell) that is also to be kept secret from the true nature of how he makes a living. So, there are several worlds in which Roy operates and many innocents who orbit his supernova personality: the bloody gangster life and the personal relationships that keep him grounded amidst his violent, topsy-turvy job.
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Roy Is the Ultimate Antihero in ‘Mr. Inbetween’
Having Brittany, Bruce, and Aly in his life can sometimes make Ray feel vulnerable. Most guys like him are sociopaths or straight-up psychopaths with no emotional attachments to anyone, but he is unusually loving and level-headed. This makes him a perfect antihero because, despite the awful things he does to people, Ray has an uncanny ability to turn his behavior on and off on a dime. Whenever he uses violence, it is for a reason. Many pensive and poignant moments in Mr. Inbetween captures a reflective and sometimes melancholy Ray, who wonders if he can continue in his chosen work while simultaneously having so much to lose.
In Episode 4 of the first season, Ray attends a court-ordered anger management class. It’s both heartening and hilarious as he struggles to identify with a group of married men whose most significant problem is understanding their wives and children. Naturally, Ray speaks his mind and ends up in a scuffle because he is too honest about their problems. Playing an antihero type like Ray Shoesmith is a delicate balance of being hardened and mean as hell with being emotionally vulnerable and leaving yourself out there on a limb. Scott Ryan is so unbelievably in touch with every aspect of this nuanced and terribly flawed character that you are on the edge of your seat waiting to see which version will show up from scene to scene. Perhaps the best and most darkly comedic Australian way to describe this one-of-a-kind character is a guy who will both kill your deadbeat friend and then also help you bury the body. Through it all, you can’t help but feel like Ray’s heart is in the right place somehow.
Mr. Inbetween is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
A hitman navigates the dual aspects of his life, balancing his professional obligations with his roles as a father and friend. His attempts to lead a normal life are constantly at odds with his violent career, creating a stark contrast between his daytime activities and his nighttime job. This narrative delves into the complexities of living a life steeped in contradiction.
- Release Date
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September 25, 2018
- Cast
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Scott Ryan
, Chika Yasumara
, Justin Rosniak
, Damon Herriman
, Brooke Satchwell
, Nicholas Cassim
, Natalie Tran
, matt nable - Seasons
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3
