Review: “Ozark” is the Drama Crime Series You’ve Been Waiting for

Chloe Saldanha, Copy Editor

“Ozark” is a Netflix show released in 2017; it currently has three seasons. The last season was released just under two months ago, on March 27. The show was created by Bill Dubuque, an American screenwriter known for such films as “The Accountant”, “A Family Man”, and “The Judge”.

“Ozark” is about a family who gets tangled up in the Navarro drug cartel. Marty Byrde is a financial planner in Chicago, who lives with his wife Wendy, and their two kids, Jonah and Charlotte. The father and his coworkers had been laundering money for them for years.

The cartel becomes convinced that one of them is stealing their money and their profits are getting skimmed. The Mexican drug lord ends up killing Marty’s partners in crime after discovering who had been taking their money. 

He goes to kill Marty, the only witness left, and Marty pitches him this new scheme to start a new operation in a Missouri resort community in hopes of saving his life. His wish is granted, if he can get back all the money that his partners had stolen, millions of dollars, in under a few days.

Marty’s family had been oblivious to the fact that he had been doing this for years. When he tells them what is going on they are both shocked and angry that he had not told them sooner. Marty, Wendy and their two kids move to the Ozarks almost overnight. The family is forced to stay in this summer resort town and start a new money laundering operation there if they wish to live. They have to create new identities for themselves, go to a new school and find new jobs. 

Marty Byrde is played by Jason Bateman and his wife is played by Laura Linney. They both do a phenomenal job of acting in this show and really bring their characters to life. Julia Garner received an Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and rightfully so.

All the characters are interesting and well developed. The show itself can be quite amusing in addition to sometimes being horrific. This series has a bit of everything; drama, action, and plot twists beyond your imagination. “Ozark” can be a bit violent at times and is not recommended for watching with the whole family. However, the show is still very good and highly recommended. “Ozark” is the drama crime series you’ve been waiting for.