The Gentlemen review: Well, damn, Guy Ritchie’s TV show is a really fun time

If there’s one thing Guy Ritchie has zeroed in on—besides churning out a new project almost every year, that is—it’s helming a fun British caper. From Snatch to The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to Operation Fortune, his films aren’t qualitatively equal, but he’s weaved a signature style into them all. No matter what, there will be breezy dialogue, multiple heists, suave yet kooky gangsters, and amusing visuals. This well-established format is the driving force of his Netflix drama, The Gentlemen, which premieres March 7.

Yes, it’s a spinoff of his Matthew McConaughey-led 2019 movie, and no, you don’t need to watch it to enjoy Ritchie’s expansion of his film’s world. The show stands on its own two feet with a couple of charming, sexy leads, a roster of wild antagonists, surprisingly tender family dynamics, a rapid pace, and jam-packed action. It’s no wonder these aspects add up to make one hell of an entertaining viewing experience—as long as it’s not taken too seriously or logically.

Netflix’s show doesn’t have the star power of the original (McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Jeremy Strong, Colin Farrell, Michelle Dockery, Hugh Grant, etc.), but that’s okay. Emmy nominee Theo James (The White Lotus) is a solid anchor here. What starts as an impassive performance from him molds into an endearing, cocky, charismatic turn, which is just what the script demands. He plays a soldier-turned-Duke named Eddie Halstead, who inherits his father’s title and land only to discover the vast property secretly inhabits a cannabis empire on the order of Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone). His dead dad was happy to sneak in a $5-million-per-year paycheck for his silence. Eddie? Not so much.

This aristocrat doesn’t want to turn into a weed businessman. Instead, he aims to get rid of the deal altogether for the safety of his mother and two siblings. It’s impossible to achieve this without turning to a life of crime, however, because first, he has to fight off unexpected enemies, seek revenge, commit robberies, and dispose of black money. Eddie ultimately learns to thrive in this notorious environment with the help of Bobby’s ridiculously smart daughter, Susie (Kaya Scodelario, sporting the chicest outfits). The Gentlemen slowly, excruciatingly builds their chemistry, which is packed with banter, arguments, testing of loyalties, backstabbing, and occasional flirting…you know, the usual steps to a budding romance.

Despite different professional approaches, Eddie and Susie deal with similar problems like having to prove their worth and protecting their dopey brothers. In Eddie’s case, his older sibling Freddie (Daniel Ings) was meant to be the Duke, but Freddie’s expertise lies in snorting cocaine, acting like an idiot, and causing a ton of problems. A level-headed Eddie has to continually save his ass. For all its absurdities, The Gentlemen devotes just sufficient time to character development and fleshing out these atypical familial bonds. These angles are fine-tuned by the end such that they become as central to the story as the action and plot-twist-heavy drama.

Still, it is a Guy Ritchie joint, so expect a smorgasbord of crooks with hilarious names—Thicc Rick, Chucky, Gospel John, Toni Blair—who descend into Eddie’s lives for various reasons. Guz Khan’s Chucky is particularly funny (and it’s not just because Khan doles out this writer’s favorite Hindi-language curses often). The most crucial one of this bunch is Stanley Johnston, played by the indomitable Giancarlo Esposito. The actor shows up sporadically, but gosh, no one is as gleefully delighted to be a villain who chews up the scenery as him. And while she’s no villain, Joely Richardson is effectively comedic as Eddie’s mother, Lady Sabrina Halstead, prancing around as she pronounces marijuana with the J.

As fun as it is, The Gentlemen requires putting common sense aside. Even for an adept soldier, Eddie adjusts a bit too quickly to his new life of crime. Plus, some of the storytelling turns are either too convenient or too ridiculous. But that’s the beauty, people: Not everything needs to be prestige TV or a smart drama to get it right. Sometimes, it can just be pure distraction, and The Gentlemen is as successful a bit of escapism as they come.