Big Mistakes Review: Dan Levy’s Messy & Uneven Crime Comedy Lives Up To Its Name

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Despite a talented cast and a strong finish, Dan Levy’s new crime-comedy, Big Mistakes, doesn’t quite meet expectations. Coming after the success of his Emmy-winning show Schitt’s Creek, there was a lot of anticipation for this series, which stars Levy alongside Taylor Ortega as a pair of bickering siblings, Nicky and Morgan.

Nicky and Morgan, a pastor and a teacher, desperately tried to buy a necklace for their dying grandmother. When the jeweler, Yusuf, wouldn’t sell it, Morgan stole it. Yusuf then blackmailed them, forcing them to work for a dangerous crime boss as payback.

The trailer and cast of Big Mistakes initially seemed very promising, and the show’s silly premise hinted at a lot of humor. Given creator Dan Levy’s previous successes, many expected it to be Netflix’s next big comedy. Sadly, the show itself was riddled with problems, ironically fulfilling the meaning of its title.

Big Mistakes’ Storytelling Is Frustratingly Chaotic & Inconsistent

Netflix’s Big Mistakes is refreshingly upfront about its approach. From the very beginning, the show sets a clear tone and sticks to it. However, that approach largely involves withholding information from viewers, leaving them with little understanding of the events unfolding or a reason to be invested.

The story immediately plunges you into a difficult hospital situation: an elderly woman with cancer has had an accident, and her family is arguing nearby. While the mother tries to help, tensions are high – the siblings are constantly at odds, and it’s clear there’s a lot of underlying resentment within the family.

I immediately felt like I’d stumbled into a private, awkward situation – like accidentally walking in on a family at a vulnerable moment. I really wished I’d just left, because watching this Netflix crime-comedy was far more unpleasant than simply turning around and walking away.

“Big Mistakes” presents a lot of mysteries without offering satisfying explanations. The show introduces questions – like why the siblings don’t communicate or why Morgan steals – but never really answers them. This lack of resolution makes it feel like the story doesn’t deliver on its promises.

The plot twists come out of nowhere and don’t make sense with what’s happened before. It feels like the writers just threw random ideas together. The show, “Big Mistakes,” constantly introduces new plot points and characters without giving any explanation, and the characters start making decisions that don’t even fit their personalities.

The mystery elements of the story eventually become totally unreal and dreamlike. It’s fun as long as you don’t try to make sense of it. I just wish Dan Levy had gone all-in on the craziness and really played up the absurdity.

Unfortunately, the show jarringly mixes its intense crime story with more personal scenes of romance and family life. These quieter moments unfold at a slow pace, and the sudden changes in speed and mood feel abrupt because the show doesn’t smoothly connect them. Adding the mother’s political campaign on top of everything else feels forced and doesn’t quite fit.

The show didn’t need to focus so much on typical family and relationship problems. Embracing unpredictability could have made Big Mistakes a lot more compelling if it had simply allowed things to unfold naturally.

Looking back, it feels like they awkwardly combined three different shows with very weak connections. It’s frustrating because each of those shows actually had moments of good writing and interesting characters – each one had at least one scene that really grabbed my attention. On their own, they all showed promise, but when put together, it just became a confusing mess.

The problems with the story were really disruptive, preventing me from fully appreciating the beautiful romance between Nicky and Tareq. While their relationship was the strongest and most well-developed part of the book, it unfortunately got lost amidst all the other issues.

Big Mistakes’ Great Actors Do Their Best With A Rough Script

Despite a weak script, Netflix’s comedy series Big Mistakes boasts a talented cast who deliver strong performances. While Nicky and Morgan are the most fleshed-out characters, brought to life by Dan Levy and Taylor Ortega, the supporting actors truly stand out.

You know, what really struck me about this film wasn’t a lack of effort from the cast. Even though the script felt a little flat at times, they truly elevated it. They took characters that could have been pretty one-note and gave them real depth and life. It was clear they were committed to making something special, despite the limitations of the writing.

The movie Big Mistakes doesn’t offer much information about Nicky and Morgan’s sister, Natalie, but Abby Quinn’s performance brought her to life. The character of Max is written as unlikeable and immature, yet Jack Innanen played him so convincingly that I genuinely disliked him.

Okay, so Yusuf, this Turkish gangster, honestly didn’t get enough screen time to really flesh out his story, especially considering how important he was to the plot. But man, Boran Kuzum absolutely killed it in the role. Seriously, he’s incredible! I was shocked to find out this was his first English-language acting gig – his delivery and the way he used his voice were just phenomenal. You’d never know it was a new language for him.

You could really feel Yusuf’s desperation and fear. Kuzum’s physical performance amplified the emotions in his voice. I connected with Kuzum more than any other character; he played even a flawed character with genuine sincerity. Despite the limited backstory, I felt he was a fundamentally good person trapped in a difficult circumstance.

Honestly, Linda was really frustrating to watch for most of the show, right up there with Max! She came across as constantly judging others, playing with people’s feelings, and mostly thinking about herself. But Laurie Metcalf is amazing. By the end, especially in those last few episodes, she totally turned things around. I actually found myself feeling sorry for Linda in the ‘Big Mistakes’ episode – it was a surprising change of heart!

By the end of the series, Linda and Yusuf really stood out as my favorite characters. But honestly, the entire cast of Big Mistakes did a great job considering the weak material they were working with.

Big Mistakes Finally Gets Fun At The End Despite Its Issues

Even though Big Mistakes has its flaws, it finishes strong. The final two episodes are the funniest, with surprising plot twists and genuinely touching emotional moments. The show flows well, and while things are still pretty chaotic, I found myself enjoying the ride.

Finally, the show’s different storylines – family issues, romance, and the crime plot – all feel linked together. While we get some explanations, they lead to even more mysteries, which is intriguing.

When I looked at these two episodes on their own, I could finally see what attracted everyone to the show’s initial concept. While they didn’t change my overall opinion of the series, they did suggest the potential for better episodes down the line.

The first season of Big Mistakes didn’t quite hit the mark, but there’s still potential for improvement. If Netflix decides to bring the show back for a second season, I’m optimistic it could really turn things around and prove the show wasn’t a failure.

All eight episodes of Big Mistakes drop April 9th on Netflix.

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2026-04-09 12:10