‘The Gentlemen’ Netflix Review: Guy Ritchie Adapts His 2020 Movie’s Concept Into a Thrilling Series
Loosely inspired by his 2020 mob film of the same name, Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen is Netflix’s new great show. Endlessly entertaining and infused with those Ritchie sensibilities that are both unique to him but also extremely fun, the series works perfectly as an add-on to the movie, but doesn’t depend on it whatsoever. Being created by the same person, following the same style, and sharing a passion for the underworld of rich British drug lords, are pretty much all things that the movie and the show have in common — to the point that it’s actually hard to compare which one achieved its goals better.
Theo James stars as Eddie Horniman, who is named heir to his aristocrat family upon his father’s death, at the beginning of the first episode. That’s just about the worst his older brother, a coke addict and overall wreck of a person, Freddy (Daniel Ings), could have taken at that stage. And though we may have suspected that this was a case of jealousy over paternal love, it turns out that Freddy just needed the inheritance money to deal with people he owes millions of pounds to some dangerous criminals.
After Eddie gets named the new lord of the estate, he learns about some of his father’s real business. As revealed by his new partner, the ever-enchanting Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario), the estate is also home to a significant part of a cannabis-growing empire overseen by Susie’s father, the dangerous Bobby Glass. Can the new heir work with them as swiftly and willingly as the old man used to? That’s the question Susie needs to answer, and in trying to do so, he quickly establishes a very interesting bond with Eddie.
Kaya Scodelario in Netflix’s “The Gentlemen”.
The character of Susie is the highlight of the show — even if Theo James is the one who carries the narrative, it is Scodelario’s performance and the way she’s able to portray such a dynamic and layered character that pushes it over the edge and makes it great. Their relationship is sufficient reason to watch the show; even if both are in strictly for business, and there are hardly any romantic hints besides the eletricity that inevitably surfaces every time two hot actors are on screen together, there is something unique about the quid pro quo that Ritchie and his team of writers was able to establish in their relationship that fully works.
Susie knows she has a great opportunity with Eddie as she slowly takes over her imprisoned father’s empire, while Eddie wants to get his brother’s financial troubles sorted out and peace out. However, in typical Guy Ritchie nonsensical style, there is just one problem: the kingpin whom Freddy owes money to is willing to slash the debt in half should he meet some of his conditions, which include a humiliating recording of Freddy dressed as a chicken. Let’s just say things escalated from there — it was the first of multiple instances in which Eddie is forced back into the game due to Freddy’s recklessness, which often lead to hilarious outcomes.
James may be the star of the show, but as mentioned earlier, his character overall takes a backseat to Scoledario’s. And though the writing may be less sharp on his character than Susie’s, and less engaging than with Freddy, the truth is that the Emmy-nominated actor does so much with what he’s given. Giancarlo Esposito, who’s never not great, also steps in for a guest-starring role in a few of the episodes. But, as with any Guy Ritchie-heavy project, there are always secondary characters that are the true standout — and Netflix’s The Gentlemen has plenty of those, including the many mob bosses Susie and Eddie cross during their adventures together.
Kaya Scodelario in Netflix’s “The Gentlemen”.
One of the aspects I enjoyed the most about this adaptation is the episodic nature of the story. The Gentlemen is not a strict remake of the 2020 film but with a much lengthier runtime. This is Guy Ritchie taking the core concept of the film and adapting it into a series, not a seven-hour movie. Each episode has a beginning, middle, and end. And though there is a continuous storyline between them, each of them acts as a mission-of-the-week type of subplot, with Eddie continuously trying to step out of it, but being pulled back in, either as a favor to Susie, because his brother messed up so badly he now has to cover for him, or any other given reason. Though there are some broad common strokes between the episodes, it never feels boring or repetitive, which it could have easily come across as.
The Gentlemen is currently streaming on Netflix.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
