Jean Smart's triumphant return has been an absolute joy to watch in Hacks. The HBO Max series tells the story of living legend Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) as she mentors young comedian Ava (Hannah Einbinder) at the behest of her agent. The unlikely partnership is solely an attempt to save the older comedian's at-risk career, but it grows into something more complex and sometimes nefarious. HBO is currently dropping the series two episodes at a time on their streaming service.
Is Hacks on Netflix?
As an HBO Max original, Hacks won't be available on Netflix (or any other streamer) any time soon. Given that it's been an immediate hit for the streamer, Warner Media will likely want to keep the series on its service for as long as they can to continue to drive subscriptions. They recently did away with their free trial, but you can sign up for HBO Max for $14.99, or check out their recently announced ad-supported version for $9.99 in June.
Is Hacks worth the HBO Max subscription?
Our critic, Emma Fraser, certainly thinks so! Here's what she had to say about HBO Max's Hacks.
Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is on top of the world in the Hacks opening sequence that takes its cue from the iconic Martin Scorsese tracking shot from Goodfellas and switches New York City's Copacabana nightclub for a Las Vegas performance hot spot. The camera follows her glorious sequinned back as she finishes a killer set and walks through the backstage corridors talking to stage managers, assistants, and showgirls during this nightly routine. It isn’t until Deborah sits down that we finally glimpse the face of the legendary comedian. Seeing her image reflected in the vanity mirror depicts a star who is booked and busy but the visage that looks back doesn’t always tell the whole story.
