TL;DR – This was a weird, odd, yet profoundly compelling opening to a series.  

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this series.

The Gentlemen Review –

It wasn’t all that long ago that I sat down to watch a truly bonkers yet very rough film called The Gentlemen. I hadn’t thought in a while, but as I was watching, snippets came back to me, and I remembered how genuinely wild it was. The question then becomes, can you improve on the first by transforming/ spinning it off into a television series on Netflix? Well this is the question that I find myself asking today.   

So to set the scene, we find ourselves on the Türkiye/Syrian Border at a United Nations manned checkpoint. It is just an ordinary day until the Unit Leader Eddie (Theo James) discovers that his father is gravely ill and he is needed at home. A world of luxury awaits, a far distance from the rural Middle East. It should be a short trip because 600 hundred years of tradition means that the title and lands go to the first-born son, Freddy (Daniel Ings), which makes the will reading all that more perplexing. I sure hope no one has any significant debts that could complicate things. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.  

The first thing that the series did well was cast Theo James because it pulled off one of the most challenging things: made a rich brat with a silver spoon embedded in his posterior feel like a compelling character that I don’t instantly hate. Part of that is because the show wisely surrounds him with disasters that he needs to fend off, and we see from the start that he is generally level-headed and knows his stuff. But then they introduce Freddy, who is all of those things to absorb all the audience’s frustrations. Gee, I’d like to have a three-million-dollar wine collection I could just cash out at any moment.    

Then, the series pairs Theo James up with Kaya Scodelario, and this is where the show starts to shine. I love Kaya’s performance here. You feel that she is a competent businesswoman, that she is not dabbling in hard drugs that would be alienating, and that there is a hint of malice there that shows you that she should not be crossed. It creates a fascinating dichotomy between the two, as Eddie himself is not just a cookie-cutter character. The story arc in this first episode is captivating, and it got its hooks in me right up until its climax, which I did not see coming even though they literally Chekhov-shotgunned us halfway through.

In some respects, it is a little more toned back in the style that you become familiar with when watching a Guy Ritchie jam. However, it can still swing from 0 to 100 in an instant, and it has moments that had me looking on with glee. Daniel Ings is chewing all the scenery, and his ‘Take it up with God’ might be one of the best line reads I have heard in 2024. Then some moments who are equally funny and sad, bringing these fantastically complex emotions.       

In the end, do we recommend The Gentlemen: Refined Aggression? Well, as far as starts go, I think this nailed the brief. You have interesting characters, a fun set-up, and an explosive ending that makes me 100% want to see how that plays out. Now, to see if it can stick the landing.  

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you seen The Gentlemen yet ?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day.    
Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Gentlemen
Directed by – Guy Ritchie
Written by – Guy Ritchie & Matthew Read
Created by – Guy Ritchie
Based On – The Gentlemen by Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson & Bill Block
Production/Distribution Companies – Moonage Pictures, Miramax Television & Netflix
Starring – Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Joshua McGuire, Vinnie Jones, Edward Fox & Giancarlo Esposito with Ranjit Krishnamma, Peter Serafinowicz, Harry Goodwins, Jasmine Blackborow & Chanel Cresswell and Matthew Hawksley, Stephane Fichet, John McGrellis, Pearce Quigley, Michael Vu, Alexis Rodney, Jade Willis, Mason Antonio Fardowe, Logan Dean & Josh Finan