Rating: 7.1
Author: Shah

Guy Ritchie has a very specific style of storytelling that is his signature. And for the most part, it works almost every time. Unfortunately, not so well in The Gentlemen, the new series based on Ritchie’s own film of the same name. And while the show has a lot going for it, the same Ritchie-techniques don’t really translate in the long-form medium. Read on for my The Gentlemen series review.

Please note that the following The Gentlemen series review will be totally spoiler-free.

The Gentlemen Is In The Same Ritchie Universe As The Movie

Image via Netflix.

The Gentlemen was originally Ritchie’s 2019 feature film with Matthew McConaughey leading a star-studded cast in an awesome action crime movie. While the Gentlemen Netflix series doesn’t really tie into any of the stories from the movie, it’s supposed to be set in the same universe. And the visual and tonal vibes of the series very much live in that same Ritchie-verse of awesome action crime thrillers.

The series focuses on the middle child of a Royal British family, Eddie (Theo James), and how he deals with the aftermath of his father’s passing. Skipping over his older brother, Eddie inherits everything from his father; his title, assets, prestige and complicity in an illegal drug empire. The series sees this newly-crowned Lord of a defunct Monarchy, having to protect his family from the shady dealings of his father, by immersing himself in a world he knows nothing about.

Guy Ritchie Is At Its Best In The Gentlemen Series

Image via Netflix.

The Gentlemen is a fast-paced dramatic thriller with quirky characters and the trademark Ritchie style that audiences love. The original Netflix show starts strong establishing the universe, the characters, the conflict and some outrageous scenes shot even more stylishly. The pacing is wonderful, as we see Eddie wade deeper and deeper into the criminal underbelly of his newly acquired empire. James is awesome as a UN cop who has to come back home and try to wiggle his family out of this mess. All the while having an older brother, Freddy (Daniel Ings) who is a compulsive screwer-upper of everything Eddie is trying to achieve.

The show works great as a dysfunctional family drama with an action crime bent to it. The chemistry between James and Ings is the perfect, brothers looking out for each other, kind of vibe. Not to mention the standout performance by Kaya Scodelario as Susie Glass, Eddie’s liaison into the criminal drug empire. The dynamic between James and Scodelario is wonderful and really carries the show for the most part. But as the show progresses, things lose steam.

The Gentlemen Series Review Is Spoiler-Free

Somewhere around the halfway mark of Netflix’s The Gentlemen series, it completely loses me. The pacing feels like it fell off of a cliff. The story gets too wrapped up with the larger convoluted elements of the plot. Side characters get their own subplots that are neither as exciting nor relevant to the larger plot that is driving things forward. So those departures really dragged the main plot that much more.

It honestly felt like the non-Ritchie-directed episodes slowed down and just kind of meandered. Almost like the exceptional 3-act structure of the usual Guy Ritchie movie doesn’t translate into an 8-episode series. The series ends with a bang, but by the time we get there the earlier excitement has waned. Overall, The Gentlemen series is an interesting show and is enjoyable to watch. But the majority of the last 4 episodes make it hard for me to give it a glowing recommendation. However, I will say that if the new James Bond hasn’t been finalized, Theo James gives an excellent Bond audition in this series. If you’re still interested in the series and are a fan of Guy Ritchie’s—