Expanded from Guy Ritchie’s film of the same name (which I haven’t seen), The Gentlemen expands the world of the film into an 8-part Netflix series. Stylish and seductive, the series takes advantage of the expanded format to offer Ritchie the opportunity to slow down a little and let his material breathe.
It’s a little uneven as the intensity of the first couple of episodes wanes as key characters come and go. Sometimes, it feels like characters appear only to create situations in order to set plots in motion or to add a little oomph to the proceedings. The series feels less like it was planned out than it had a premise, characters, and an ending. The middle bit feels like it might have been worked out along the way. Things do come together in the end, however, and a potentially more interesting sequel is teased in the final moments of the last episode.
It’s a game series, enlivened by Kaya Scodelario’s presence as the daughter of a crime lord running a weed syndicate known throughout the underworld. I found the show lagged a bit when her character wasn’t onscreen and would watch an entire series devoted to her and how she runs the show. A nice Sunday afternoon binge after not having had a TV for a while.
21 April 2024