Back in 2017, fans of “Peaky Blinders” (which will be returning in feature film form this year) had their worlds rocked at the start of season four when Joe Cole’s John Shelby was assassinated, thereby clipping a crucial part of the organized crime family tree. Three years later, though, Cole was back in the modern-day world, full of crime and punishment, with a heavy focus on the latter in AMC+’s “Gangs of London.”
Now in its third season, “Gangs of London” began in 2020 and kicks off with the death of crime lord Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney), with time for grieving swiftly halted by a hunt for revenge. With a big vacuum left in the Big Smoke, Finn’s level-headed son, Sean Wallace (Cole), is hungry to see those responsible brought to justice via brutal and bloody means. Coincidentally, just as this manhunt gets underway, Sean crosses paths with the right man at the wrong time: Elliott Finch (Sope Dirisu), who is secretly an undercover operative trying to infiltrate the Wallace enterprise.
Considering some of the power dynamics in “Peaky Blinders,” it almost feels like an up-to-date take on the Shelby family’s activities. The difference here is that “Gangs of London” packs more punch and a lot more firepower. This level of brilliantly choreographed barbarity makes a lot more sense considering that the show was created by the director of one of the greatest action movies ever made.
Enjoy The Raid? Then you’ll love Gangs of London
When compiling some of the greatest action movies ever made, there’s a high chance that Gareth Evans’ 2011 film, “The Raid,” will enter the conversation and rightfully so. The Indonesian flick that followed a drug bust at an apartment block gone sideways featured some of the most wince-inducing fight sequences in cinematic history, all orchestrated by Evans. The film was such a hit that it even surpassed the comic book adaptation “Dredd,” which was released the following year and shared many of the same story beats.
That level of ferocity and violence made its way back to the U.K. with “Gangs of London” and has only escalated into more eye-watering altercations. The first season alone is crammed with enough bloody bar brawls, backstreet showdowns, and scuffles that see those involved lose teeth or worse to satiate any action movie enthusiast. One particular highlight is a siege of a quaint country farmhouse that swiftly turns into a warzone. It’s these kinds of heinous highlights throughout the show that have earned it the respect of critics, leading to an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cole, in particular, was praised by The Times as “terrific as Sean Wallace… He presented, to me at least, as a complex, repressed soul.” Now with a fourth season on the way, you’ve got plenty of time to see how he and Dirisu handle themselves. Be warned, though — those of the faint of heart or copious amounts of blood might want to stay out of these London streets. Also, if you’re a fan of “Peaky Blinders” and “Succession,” then you might like what Netflix has to offer here.
