MobLand

Far from feeling slight, MobLand feels real, and episode 1 deftly balances the fun and the violence.

“Mobland” feels like a combination of “Top Boy” and “The Gentlemen.” It has the tone, pacing and plot similarities of the former but also the middle-class crime family vibes of the latter, with the webs of deceit and deep-rooted corruption.

If “MobLand” is just a well-acted gangster tale, there’s worse company to have. But there’s enough here to be hopeful that it has deeper ambitions.

“MobLand” is familiar but effective, weaving a few strong plotlines together—potential drama within the Harrigan empire, potential drama from their rivals, and potential family drama at Harry’s home—into an entertaining whole.

MobLand isn't a grand reinvention of the gangster show, but it does offer plenty of twists and turns, paired with a magnetic cast that will have you eagerly anticipating every new episode.

So far, Tom Hardy’s show is far more tolerable than Billy Bob Thornton’s or Jeremy Renner’s, if not quite as enjoyable as Sylvester Stallone’s, but it has plenty of time to move up or down in the rankings.

Off to a promising start, MobLand needs to expand on the tension and star power in future episodes to keep viewers watching beyond Hardy and his grizzled accent.

This is a generic tale of feuding mobland families in London but what strikes you first is the accents. .... So far, however, this is Harry’s game: Hardy is simply magnetic. His calm confrontations with heavies are the best scenes.

We’re giving a tentative recommendation to MobLand because of the cast and the show’s potential to go deep into its characters’ psyches. But we also wonder if this is just a generic mob drama with a prestige drama skin on it, which would be a big disappointment if that was the case.

Ritchie’s direction is … pretty good. Accomplished. Smooth. He flexes various muscles he has built up in previous work. .... Aside from that, and some indications that Maeve’s power comes from having learned to weaponise the dark perversities of the men in her life, there’s not much of the psychological depth that a premium mob saga runs on. But if you ever start thinking MobLand isn’t worth your time, Tom Hardy will be along shortly to convince you otherwise.

While the Harrigans, led by patriarch Conrad (Pierce Brosnan) and matriarch Maeve (Helen Mirren) and the Stevensons, led by patriarch Richie (Geoff Bell), are all engaging to watch, this story centers around longtime Harrigan fixer Harry Da Souza (Tom Hardy). The show is bursting with talent and tension, but it remains to be seen whether “MobLand” can go the distance.

Each instalment leaves you wanting more, and excited to come back for the next one. The problem as of now is that it doesn't do much to stand out from the crowd, leaving its buzzy, A-lister filled cast feeling like something of a stunt to get people to watch what is otherwise a serviceable gang drama.

MobLand comes across as a somewhat less distinctive version of recent British gangland dramas like Netflix’s Peaky Blinders and Sky Atlantic/AMC+’s Gangs of London. .... But so far it’s too early to tell what MobLand offers in terms of its own perspective.

This Paramount+ crime saga reeks of regurgitation, throwing up so many underworld clichés that it proves difficult to stomach.

At least Brosnan tries to inject a sinister, unpredictable crackle into proceedings. Hardy doesn’t disgrace himself either, but he gives a laid-back performance – mooching around like he’s earning 50p running errands for his gran. If MobLand is going to improve, it had better do so fast – and they may have to include subtitles for Mirren.

Sadly, MobLand is just another tale of unpleasant people doing nasty things and is criminally short of the swagger and irreverence that have long been Ritchie’s hallmarks.