--- title: "Gangs of London" year: 2020 kind: "series" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/gangs-of-london" fi1m_score: 74 critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 12 published: "2026-09-17T15:38:02.060504+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T15:38:02.639801+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Gangs of London (2020) Created by Gareth Evans, Matt Flannery · 1h 00m · MPA TV-MA · Action & Adventure, Drama, Crime **Fi1m score: 74** · Critics 68 from 12 reviews *In a sentence:* The punches are carefully planned; the family arguments could use another draft > *Gangs of London* earns its place through inventive fights and Sope Dirisu’s commanding presence. The gangland plotting is less persuasive, and the relentless brutality makes this a recommendation for action enthusiasts with strong stomachs. ## Synopsis In London, Elliot Finch (Sope Dirisu), Sean Wallace (Joe Cole) and Marian Wallace (Michelle Fairley) are caught in gangland struggles over power, family and loyalty. Ed Dumani (Lucian Msamati) is part of the wider ensemble as competing criminal interests bring arguments and physical confrontations. The story moves between family drama, gang politics, brawls and foot chases, with violence running through each. Questions of trust sit alongside the practical business of power: who holds it, who wants it and what people are prepared to do to keep it. ## Review *Gangs of London* is worth watching for its fights, provided graphic violence is part of the attraction rather than something to endure. Creators Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery approach gangland television with an appetite for physical action that makes the usual business of threats and loyalties feel secondary. The opening series gives that approach nine episodes. It also wants us to care about the families caught in the fighting. We do, although less consistently than we should. Gareth Evans is also among the directors, and the brawls show what this programme understands most clearly. The choreography keeps finding inventive ways to make a physical confrontation worth following, while the camera gives the movement an exhilarating momentum. We winced, then felt slightly ashamed of how keenly we were waiting for the next fight. The elaborate choreography had kept our attention even when the bodily punishment became unpleasant. That uncomfortable combination of admiration and recoil is a substantial part of the appeal. Sope Dirisu gives Elliot Finch a convincing physical presence, which matters in a series so dependent on what bodies can do. He also makes the stretches between fights worth watching, without needing the programme to manufacture another outrage around him. Joe Cole gives Sean Wallace some conviction even when the dialogue pushes towards melodrama. Michelle Fairley and Lucian Msamati help the family material feel worth taking seriously. The cast repeatedly makes us care more than the writing has quite earned. The writing is the chief limitation. Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery are also credited as writers, and the gangland politics too often rely on familiar threats, declarations and competing claims of loyalty. The melodrama grows until a conversation can seem to be insisting on its importance. That makes the quieter stretches feel longer than they are, even when the underlying business is complicated. Following the competing interests sometimes becomes tiring, particularly when the dialogue offers so little pleasure of its own. The sharp sound of the violence helps the action register, but also makes the repetition harder to dismiss. The series gives bodily damage enough attention that it can start to distract from the person receiving it. Its excess is deliberate. That does not make every blow necessary, or every prolonged confrontation more troubling than a shorter one would have been. At times the care spent on physical suffering seems disproportionate to the attention given to anyone’s feelings afterwards. The gangster genre can accommodate exaggeration, and this is not a series we would ask to become a sober procedural. Its extravagant action belongs comfortably enough alongside its family disputes. The difficulty comes when the fighting is precise and the dialogue is merely loud, leaving the actors to supply distinctions the script has not earned. There is room for heightened speech in a heightened drama, but the conversations need the same invention that goes into the confrontations. We would recommend the opening series to action enthusiasts before crime-drama completists. There is enough acting here to carry the familiar plotting, though patience with its theatrical arguments will vary. Anyone who finds screen brutality exhausting should take the 18 certificate seriously. *Fi1m score 74, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond favourably to Gangs of London, with praise concentrated on its inventive fight choreography and forceful visual style. The action sequences are the clearest point of agreement: even reviews frustrated by the plotting find the brawls and set pieces compelling. Performances also draw praise, particularly Sope Dirisu’s, while several critics find enough family conflict and gangland politics to sustain interest between confrontations. The reservations concern familiar plotting, strained dialogue and whether the brutality serves the drama. Vulture admires the action but finds the clichéd story increasingly tedious; Paste argues that the excessive violence undermines investment in the characters. The spread is wide despite the positive majority, with disagreement extending to the production itself. The Telegraph is the sharpest dissenter, judging the series cheap-looking and unconvincing where most critics see polish, and finding that even a capable cast cannot rescue the script. ### Reviews we read (12) - **Radio Times**, Michael Potts (4/5): The review calls it a gritty, uber-violent drama that balances intense gangland politics with standout fight scenes. It singles out Sope Dirisu's performance and the inventive action choreography for particular praise. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/gangs-of-london-review/) - **The Guardian** (80/100, inferred): The series promises a wild and polished ride despite graphic violence that is explicit but not entirely mindless. The critic singles out the impeccably choreographed set pieces and the underlying questions about family and loyalty for potential depth. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/apr/23/gangs-of-london-review-a-thrilling-dose-of-capital-punishment) - **Empire**, Dan Jolin (70/100, inferred): The review praises the stylish, big-budget update to the British gangster genre with hyper-kinetic action sequences from the makers of The Raid. It singles out the inventive, ferocious violence and Sope Dirisu's performance as highlights amid familiar but well-executed gangland politics. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/gangs-of-london/) - **The Times**, Carol Midgley (★★★★☆): The critic finds the arty violence mesmerising and detached rather than nauseating, praising the excellent cast including Joe Cole and Sope Dirisu. The slick spectacle and emotional moments stand out amid the brutality. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/gangs-of-london-review-violence-this-arty-doesnt-make-me-feel-peaky-8v02d2hkd) - **Vulture**, Matt Zoller Seitz (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the otherworldly excellence of the brawls, foot chases, and acrobatic action sequences as sublime and invigorating but finds the clichéd plot and parable of toxic masculinity tedious after a while. They highlight the fight choreography and dynamic camerawork as standout elements worth waiting for. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/gangs-of-london-review.html) - **The Independent** (50/100, inferred): The series combines heightened violence with ludicrous soapy melodrama that does not quite gel. The critic praises the fantastical and choreographed fight scenes but complains about giggle-inducing dialogue and wallowing in melodrama. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/gangs-of-london-review-sky-atlantic-gareth-evans-joe-cole-colm-meaney-a9480111.html) - **The Telegraph** (1/5): The critic hated the series, finding the violence jarring in a cheap-looking TV show and the script full of terrible dialogue. A high-calibre cast is wasted on implausible and unconvincing elements. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2020/04/23/gangs-london-review-violent-cockney-drama-painful-hurts/) - **Den of Geek**, Rosie Fletcher (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of the best new shows Sky or anyone has released, a massive cinematic epic with incredible scale, complex politics, and a sense that any character could die at any moment. They single out the gorgeous cinematography, pin-sharp sound design, incredible ensemble cast, and action sequences at least as good as anything in the cinema. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/gangs-of-london-review/) - **Collider**, Gregory Lawrence (B+): The critic highlights the addictive mix of complex crime plotting, strong performances (especially Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù), and jaw-dropping action sequences from Gareth Evans, while noting some simplistic character elements; overall it is gripping and unique prestige TV. [Read](https://collider.com/gangs-of-london-amc-review/) - **NME**, Olly Richards (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the series as a stylish, ultra-violent crime epic with inventive fight scenes and strong visual flair, comparing it favorably to a modern Game of Thrones or Peaky Blinders and calling it a strong addition to British TV crime dramas. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/gangs-of-london-review-joe-cole-peaky-blinders-2653449) - **The Ringer**, Miles Surrey (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the series formulaic in its gangster plot but highly entertaining due to its standout violent action sequences. The fight choreography and set pieces are singled out as the element that elevates the show above similar crime dramas. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2020/11/19/tv/gangs-of-london-gareth-evans) - **Paste**, Shane Ryan (5.2/10): The review finds the show frustrating due to its excessive, purposeless ultra-violence that undermines any narrative or character investment, despite some initial promise in the setup of London crime families. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/gangs-of-london/gangs-of-london-review) ## Details - **Created by:** Gareth Evans, Matt Flannery - **Creator:** Gareth Evans, Matt Flannery - **Director:** Corin Hardy, Gareth Evans, Kim Hong-seon, Xavier Gens, Farren Blackburn, Nima Nourizadeh, Marcela Said, Tessa Hoffe - **Writer:** Peter Berry, Peter McKenna, Tom Butterworth, Claire Wilson, Danusia Samal, Gareth Evans, Matt Flannery, Lauren Sequeira, Kevin Rundle, Rowan Athale, Joe Murtagh, Steve Searle, David Mar Stefansson, Meg Salter, Tolula Dada, Marty Thornton, Mary Fox, Carl Joos - **Producer:** Hugh Warren - **Cast:** Sope Dirisu as Elliot Finch; Joe Cole as Sean Wallace; Michelle Fairley as Marian Wallace; Orli Shuka as Luan Dushaj; Lucian Msamati as Ed Dumani; Jasmine Armando as Saba; Narges Rashidi as Lale; Brian Vernel as Billy Wallace - **Runtime:** 1h 00m - **Certificate (MPA):** TV-MA - **Release (the US):** 23 April 2020 - **Genres:** Action & Adventure, Drama, Crime - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoJ_yZqhmAg ## Where to watch in the US - AMC+: streaming - Amazon Prime Video: free - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Apple TV: add-on, hd - Apple TV: buy, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy, sd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BG, CA, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, JP, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *The Raid* (2011), Fi1m 83: Concentrated action with clear geography and little patience for gangster speeches. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-raid.md) - *A Prophet* (2009), Fi1m 86: A prison crime drama that gives acquiring power its proper human cost. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-prophet.md) - *Gomorrah* (2014): Criminal loyalties and family obligations, with less pleasure taken in the violence. - *Infernal Affairs* (2002), Fi1m 87: For criminal intrigue that makes divided loyalties tense without endless explanation. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/infernal-affairs.md) - *The Long Good Friday* (1980), Fi1m 88: London gangland ambition with sharper dialogue and a formidable sense of impending trouble. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-long-good-friday.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. 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