‘MobLand’ Season 1 Review: GangLand Drama Reaches For The Stars

Paramount+ is at the rear end when it comes to the streaming age. The streaming service is riding on the coattails of Netflix and Max, and is certainly modest when it comes to hits, most infamously known for its Halo live-action series, which was cancelled after two seasons. So when I first heard about MobLand, I was more than hesitant, but when the series was recommended to me by a family member, I leapt into it headfirst and was treated to a great season of television. Read our MobLand Season 1 review.

MobLand follows Harry De Souza (Tom Hardy), an enforcer for the Harrigan crime family. When tasked with protecting grandson Eddy Harrigan (Anson Boon), Harry must prevent an all-out gang war. The series also features famed English actors Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, and Paddy Considine, who all play various members of the Harrigan family, providing an all-star cast and an infectious dynamic for the directors to work with. 

The show was created by Ronan Bennett (The Day of the Jackal) and executive produced by Guy Ritchie, the latter of whom helps to provide his trademark comedy and action, making for an incredibly fluid action-drama series. The show starts off strong, setting the stage with some brilliant worldbuilding, but as the show opens more doors, it does get a dash convoluted. The Harrigan family is sprawling and with the messy nature of affairs, the show feels lost in the petty feuds of it’s minor characters. Whilst this puts pressure on the series to be good in other aspects, the show doesn’t disappoint with some good commentary, character developments and an incredibly interesting main conflict between the Harrigan’s and rival family the Stevensons, led by Geoff Bell’s Ritchie. 

There is also a questionable subplot to do with law enforcement that just mysteriously gets dropped during the latter half of the show. It’s frustrating, considering the amount of screentime allocated towards it in the first two quarters, but the show seems unconcerned with it. It does result in some change at the end of the season, but that side of the series feels bloated to justify the show’s runtime. 

The show aired alongside the release of Netflix’s Havoc, another Tom Hardy vehicle, and the difference in quality between the two cannot be more prevalent. That film featured a weak drama only made bearable by Gareth Evans’ action, but here drama is at the forefront, compelling you as an audience member to tune in week to week, which is only proven in the ratings of the show. 

MobLand tries and delivers, with a strong opening season and a loveable group of assholes. Tom Hardy serves as an exciting and compelling lead, begging for your attention every minute he’s on screen, whilst Brosnan and Mirren make for a dangerously hilarious but evidently evil couple. I am more than excited for Season 2, when that will inevitably be greenlit by Paramount+. 

MobLand stars Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Paddy Considine, Geoff Bell, Anson Boon, Toby Jones, and Janet McTeer. The series was created by Ronan Bennett, written by Bennett and Jez Butterworth, and directed by Guy Ritchie, Anthony Byrne, Daniel Syrkin, and Laurence Gough.

MobLand Season 1 is now streaming on Paramount+.

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