The Gentlemen

Right now you can watch The Gentlemen in Australia on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Netflix — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. Its 8/10 TMDB score, built from 6,685 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Matthew McConaughey sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Netflix.

The Gentlemen is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The jokes in The Gentlemen land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. American expat Mickey Pearson has built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business forever it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him. The chemistry Matthew McConaughey and Charlie Hunnam bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. The Gentlemen came out in 2020. What keeps The Gentlemen from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

The Gentlemen is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Matthew McConaughey is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.