Netflix
Netflix’s ‘The Gentlemen’ takes Guy Ritchie’s movie to another level
The spin-off series of Guy Ritchie’s movie of the same name delivers much of what we have come to expect from the British director.
For decades, British director Guy Ritchie (’Snatch’, ‘RocknRolla’) has accustomed us to a cinema of gangsters, assaults, chases, and action very much in his style. It was in 2019 that he released ‘The Gentlemen’, the story of a marijuana kingpin who wants to sell his big business in the United Kingdom, taking advantage of both the huge debts and the large private lands of the country’s lords to grow his product. This time the director returns to this work with a television spin-off that takes some of the elements to tell a new story.
The Gentlemen follows the story of Eddie Horniman (Theo James), a soldier who inherits the noble title of Duke of Halstead and his father’s estate. However, to his and his family’s surprise, his father was a player in one of Britain’s largest cannabis empires. Although Eddie tries to free himself from the clutches of this empire, he will have to go through tough trials that will show that his adaptability in this underworld could also take him much further.
Like a Guy Ritchie movie, we have it all: violence, gangsters with funny nicknames, constantly changing plans, betrayals, misunderstandings, and even some boxing. Even as Lord, Eddie’s life doesn’t get any easier, as he has to take care of his useless older brother Freddie (Daniel Ings), deal with Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario), daughter and manager of his father’s big business, as well as other gangsters, and people with power like Stanley Johnston (Giancarlo Esposito) who are looking to get their slice of the pie.
In general, the story works quite well and throughout the 8 episodes, very specific characters and situations are presented. There is a lot to talk about, but in a series where there are people dressed as giant chickens, parties with gypsies, several situations that could work as missions in Grand Theft Auto, among others, it is best to sit back and enjoy. The violence is uncontrolled and although we don’t see the typical slow-motion action scenes or the constant chases, the tension or the adrenaline are two sensations that the series leaves you with. And if you’re wondering, it’s not necessary to have seen the movie, but you’ll most likely want to watch it when you finish the series.
Although the narrative that ‘The Gentlemen’ handles throughout the series is very good, it has its little details. Sometimes some events seem to be forgotten. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that there are stories that aren’t completed, there are just situations that are left hanging in the story and although they are important matters (especially in the whole operation that Eddie and Susie are involved in), sometimes it seems that there are no immediate consequences or a harsher reaction on their part.
In terms of cinematography and production, the series excels. Although it is clear that the first two episodes were helmed by the director, the rest of the series does not lag and takes good care of all these details. From written texts that appear on screen to describe situations, give figures, or some relevant data, to the camera shots that enter the action, everything works to maintain a good pace in each episode.
‘The Gentlemen’ is a great action series that manages to evolve from its source material and respect the unique style implemented by its director in most of his films. Despite those small details in its narrative, Eddie’s story to get out of the criminal world is very worthwhile.