Paramount+’s MobLand is bound to draw attention for its big-name cast. After all, it’s not every day that you see Pierce Brosnan playing a gangster with a cool-hearted Helen Mirren by his side. And while Tom Hardy taking names and throwing fists is nothing new, it’s still enjoyable nonetheless. MobLand will draw you in with the fantasy of seeing James Bond break bad, but it will keep you there with its layered storyline. But how will the infamous Harrigan family get out of their impending war with the Stevensons? After watching the first two episodes provided as screeners, your guess is as good as mine.
Be mindful. The first episode of MobLand hits you with about as many names and family dynamics as Game of Thrones. However, your first introduction to the Harrigans comes in the form of Tom Hardy’s Harry Da Souza, the family’s number one protector. With a background in playing hardened criminals and morally grey antagonists, Hardy feels right at home as a beck-and-call “fixer” with a crumbling marriage. He portrays a certain level of likable menace that makes him worthy of leading Ronan Bennett’s gritty crime drama, even if you need subtitles to understand him sometimes.
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Harry introduces us to the underbelly of London’s organized crime circuit, yet it’s Pierce Brosnan’s Conrad Harrigan that leaves a lasting impression. As the head of the Harrigan criminal empire, Conrad breaks expectations. There are no poor Marlon Brando imitations here. Instead, Conrad is the English Irish gentleman type. He spouts platitudes with a certain calmness that makes his moments of bizarre humor and ruthless violence all the more terrifying. At times, Brosnan almost does too much with this juxtaposition, but MobLand jumps to the next character before you can truly decide.
Regardless, Conrad Harrigan’s name carries weight. That much is evident from how his grandson, Eddie Harrigan (Anson Boon), spouts it off whenever he wants something. Eddie is just the type of wealthy, arrogant twenty-something you’d expect of the heir of a criminal empire. And while you spend a good portion of MobLand’s first episode wishing Harry would punch him in the face, Eddie’s drug-fueled night out with the son of the rival Stevenson family kicks off the series’ big mystery. Funny enough, it lingers in the background, almost feeling the show’s B plot until midway through Episode 2.
By the end, it’s your hook!
Suddenly, MobLand feels like a British mystery series flipped on its head. Instead of following the detectives, you’re on the opposite side of the law, worrying about sneaky betrayals and well-kept secrets. Harry has the weight of the world on his shoulders, and man, do you want him to figure it all out. Geoff Bell shines as Richie Stevenson, head of the rival Stevenson family and a constant thorn in Harry’s side. Despite their characters’ dislike of each other, Hardy and Ball display an easy chemistry that made me long for more between Hardy and Brosnan… or Hardy and Joanne Froggatt, the actress playing his wife, for that matter.
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Mystery. Manipulation. Backstabbing. It’s all there and ready for expansion. And really, you can’t say “manipulation” without mentioning Maeve Harrigan. Each time the matriarch shows up, you’re left wondering about her intentions. Helen Mirren delivers the expected poise, walking in and out of scenes with almost an unreadable coldness. Is she a villain? A liar? Or is she just the wife of a gangster who’s seen it all? Personally, I found Mirren criminally underused in the first two episodes, and I hope MobLand delivers a proper older woman anti-hero that the feminist movement deserves.
Along with acting as executive producer, Guy Ritchie directs the first two episodes. Those familiar with Ritchie’s fast-paced style may cope better with the character-hopping and twisting storylines than those who aren’t. Likewise, those expecting the usual antics of the “British Tarantino” won’t find that here either. In MobLand, Ritchie delivers something more subtle and serious than projects like Snatch or The Gentleman. It works, but the sheer number of characters can get confusing, and some names are unremarkable. (Do we really need two characters named Tommy?)
MobLand isn’t the type of series you can simply put on in the background. It requires your attention. In fact, it demands it. Despite this, you walk away from MobLand’s first two episodes knowing very little about its many characters, which is equally frustrating and intriguing. Still, the world feels fully realized and quintessentially British as the gray-soaked cinematography bounces from packed nightclubs to the boggy landscapes of the English countryside.
MobLand Review: Final Thoughts
If you love crime dramas, you’ll find a lot to like in MobLand. It’s a little Animal Kingdom, a little Gangs of London, and very much its own thing. It’s the type of show you watch because you know it will hurt. One or more of these anti-heroes will disappoint you, but that’s okay because you crave the drama. Right now, it seems the series’ biggest challenge will be juggling its large cast.
MobLand premieres March 30 on Paramount+.
