The Stream

The Bear

The Bear poster art
Image courtesy of TMDB. Used under license.

A pressure-cooker tragicomedy, "The Bear" captures the soul-shredding chaos of a family-owned Chicago sandwich shop with raw, visceral energy.

A fine-dining chef returns to Chicago to take over his late brother's struggling Italian beef sandwich shop. It's a pressure cooker of family drama, kitchen chaos, and people shouting "corner!" every thirty seconds.

I never quite clicked with The Bear. It's relentlessly anxious, chaotic, and often feels more interested in looking profound than telling a compelling story. The constant stress and stylised filmmaking can be impressive in bursts, but after a while it starts to feel exhausting rather than engaging. Jeremy Allen White is excellent, and there are flashes of genuinely great television, but the show too often mistakes intensity for depth. I can see why people love it—I just spent most of the time wishing it would calm down and get on with it.

What to know before you watch

Is The Bear worth watching?

Yes — we gave it 5/10. A pressure-cooker tragicomedy, "The Bear" captures the soul-shredding chaos of a family-owned Chicago sandwich shop with raw, visceral energy.

What is The Bear about?

A fine-dining prodigy inherits his brother’s greasy sandwich shop, and every clanging pan feels like a panic attack you can’t look away from.

What should I watch after The Bear?

  • Succession
  • Shameless
  • Hacks
See more shows like this.

The verdict

5/10