Mr Inbetween
Mr Inbetween
Inspired by the critically acclaimed feature film, "The Magician," Scott Ryan reprises the role of charismatic, yet volatile hit-man, Ray Shoesmith. Driven by dark humour and off-beat conversation, the series follows Ray as he navigates his chilling business, while also maintaining friendships, parental responsibilities and a fledgling romance; tough roles to juggle in the modern age when you're a criminal for hire.
grantss reviewedAugust 29, 2025
Absolutely brilliant.
Ray Shoesmith works “in security”. What this involves, however, is him being a killer/thug for hire: no job is off-limits or too large and Ray is very good at what he does. While the pay is good the job means he accumulates enemies and can’t trust anyone. There’s also the problem of keeping his work life separate from his private life.
A spectacular series, the greatest yet made in Australia. It starts off slowly – the first two episodes are really just scene-setting – but once it gets going it’s absolutely riveting. It’s a great mix of crime-drama, human drama and comedy in an Australian setting.
The fact that episodes are only 25 or so minutes long helps as there’s no space for filler. Yet, despite the shortness of the episodes and being action-packed, there’s still time for profundity and reflection – it just isn’t signposted or spoon-fed like lesser series.
Another area the series scores in is authenticity. A lot of Australian movies and TV shows try to be too Hollywoodesque or too Australian, playing to a stereotype. This gets it just right: everything looks and feels like real Australia down to the minor characters seeming like people you would meet in real life.
Scott Ryan, who is also creator and writer of the show, is fantastic as Ray Shoesmith, absolutely inhabiting the role. He is also upstaged, however, by Chika Yasumura who plays his 8-to-12-year-old-daughter Brittany. She, being sweet and innocent, is the contrast to Ray and shows the bipolarity of his life. She gets some of the best lines and puts in a wonderful performance, especially for one so young.
A must-watch.