It’s nearly impossible to keep up with all the ongoing streaming series flooding the market today. Just to watch them all across the variety of platforms available costs more than traditional cable used to. So it makes sense when a genuine gem falls through the cracks of overstimulation. Lost in the glut of average to great streaming series is MobLand.

Created by Ronan Bennett, an Irish novelist and screenwriter, MobLand boasts an all-star cast. I’ve already highlighted Paddy Considine in the classic Dead Man’s Shoes, who plays Kevin Harrigan, but it also stars Pierce Brosnan as Conrad Harrigan, Helen Mirren as his psychotic wife Maeve, and Tom Hardy as Harry De Souza, who is the family fixer and muscle.

***Minor Spoilers*** Plot

The synopsis for MobLand says:

“Power is up for grabs as two warring crime families clash in a battle that threatens to topple empires. In the crossfire stands Harry Da Souza, a street-smart ‘fixer’ who knows too well where loyalties lie when opposing forces collide.”

And that is basically what the show is about. Pierce Brosnan is in rare form as Conrad Harrigan is a borderline sociopath with a quick temper and a violent streak that keeps his family empire intact by fear. The Harrigan’s are in a cold war with the Stevenson’s, a family that seeks to surpass the Harrigans in power with a new fentanyl contact.

Powered by the dark theme song Starburster performed by the Irish rock band Fontaines DC, MobLand has a vintage Guy Ritchie flare. The catalyst to the story is an event that fingers the Harrigan’s grandson Eddie for the death of someone close to the Stevenson patriarch, Ritchie, played by Geoff Bell. As the accusations and danger multiply, Harry is constantly moving from one location to the next, putting out fires that the impulsive Harrigan’s start as he attempts to prevent an all-out war between the families.

And that is what makes MobLand a joy to watch. Helen Mirren as Maeve plays the matriarch, but she is a drunken, jealous, dangerous psychotic, who seems to have her own selfish motives that do not involve Conrad and some of her family. Her machinations behind the scenes turn some of the family against each other while pushing the Harrigans closer to war. Her strange relationship with her equally psychotic grandson Eddie also does more to alienate family members as tension rises.

Why You Should Watch

With this kind of star-studded cast of veteran actors, the acting is top-notch. Pierce Brosnan is truly terrifying as the predatory Conrad, who does not believe in the word no, and is used to getting what he wants. Pierce and Helen Mirren have amazing chemistry, playing a couple who have been married long enough to hate each other but long enough to need each other at the same time. Maeve pushes and questions Conrad, but only to a point. Conrad is in charge, but Maeve is his weakness as well as his strength, which is a fascinating dichotomy to watch.

Of course, Tom Hardy brings his usual gravitas, easily playing the muscle and fixer who has to navigate the political inner workings of the Harrigan family to get the job done. Yet, Harry is more than just dumb muscle, as his quick thinking and actions barely hold the fraying family together. He does so because Kevin Harrigan is his best mate, and you get the sense that both would prefer to turn to the next chapter with the family.

The rest of the cast bring their A-games as well as there is a subplot of a police investigation to take down the Harrigan’s and family intrigue, as Conrad’s tough leadership style forces some of his children to strike out on their own to prove their worth.

There is tension throughout the first season of MobLand as trusts are frayed, and the violence ramps up to dangerous levels as the two families careen towards a gang war that could destroy them both. If you’re a fan of Guy Ritchie type of movies like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, then you will love MobLand. While lacking the wit of those two movies, MobLand still carries that same dark humor that made those two films classics.

You can watch the first season of MobLand on Paramount + here.

And check out my video on Rumble and see which category of Ride or Die chick I put Maeve in. Just click on the image below!

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I caved! For the first time, my debut novel, Fiasco of Adventures, is available digitally!  You can order the e-book on Amazon here or from my Linktree! And check out my website, TheMegacosm.com, for the latest news involving this universe. I’m also starting Rumble and Youtube channels. Give them a sub so I can start getting paid!