---
title: "Task"
year: 2025
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/task"
fi1m_id: "task"
imdb_id: "tt28013708"
tmdb_id: 228305
wikidata_id: "Q124842578"
fi1m_score: 67
critics_score: 62
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-12"
updated: "2026-09-17T21:07:32.794517+00:00"
region: "AZ"
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."
---

# Task (2025)

Created by Brad Ingelsby · Crime, Drama

## Identity

Task

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/task
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** task
- **IMDb ID:** tt28013708
- **TMDB ID:** 228305
- **Wikidata ID:** Q124842578
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28013708/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/228305, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124842578

**Fi1m score: 67** · Critics 62 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Mark Ruffalo looks as though solving the crime might only get him more paperwork

> *Task* gives Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey family troubles worth caring about, then makes us wait too long for the investigation to gather pace. A decent crime drama for patient viewers, with too little humour.

## Synopsis

FBI agent Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo) takes on a task force assignment as the series follows both the investigation and the people on the other side of it. Robbie Prendergrast (Tom Pelphrey) is a criminal whose family life receives as much attention as his conflict with the law. Their parallel stories follow two fathers dealing with private troubles while their responsibilities pull them in different directions. The ensemble includes Emilia Jones as Maeve Prendergrast, Fabien Frankel as Anthony Grasso and Thuso Mbedu as Aleah Clinton.

## Review

*Task* is worth considering for its actors and its family drama, provided a slow investigation does not put you off. Brad Ingelsby’s writing follows an FBI agent and a criminal, giving their troubles at home as much attention as the pursuit. Mark Ruffalo plays Tom Brandis; Tom Pelphrey plays Robbie Prendergrast, and the programme needs both to matter before it can generate much suspense. That takes longer than it should, even with seven episodes in the first series.

Ruffalo plays Tom’s weariness without making him seem incapable of doing his job. The task force assignment consequently feels like one more responsibility for a man who has enough of them already. Pelphrey is the stronger reason to continue, giving Robbie a family life that matters as much as his criminal activity. In those domestic scenes, his concern for his family remains convincing even when his choices are difficult to defend. We felt for Robbie more than we expected to.

The weakness is how often Ingelsby returns to the same low mood after the actors have already made the point. Grief, faith and forgiveness give the characters plenty to wrestle with, but scene after scene offers another reason for unhappiness and too few changes of pace. We do not need everybody to become cheerful, or even especially likeable. A little ordinary humour would make these people easier to believe in, and would give the darker passages more force.

Directors Jeremiah Zagar and Salli Richardson-Whitfield give the ensemble room to establish those family tensions, and the supporting performances prevent the drama from shrinking to a contest between its leads. The cinematography by Elie Smolkin and Alex Disenhof contributes to the sustained gloom, though the consistency becomes wearing. Keith P. Cunningham’s production design helps establish a credible surrounding world, giving the family drama somewhere that feels lived in. There is care here, but the oppressive mood makes it harder to notice the differences between one troubled household and another.

Editors Amy E. Duddleston and Keiko Deguchi face the problem of keeping two central stories moving when both need so much preparation. Their patience helps the performances, but the long set-up allows familiar crime plotting to become easier to anticipate. Dan Deacon’s score does little to loosen the prevailing solemnity. The writing has already decided how we should feel, and seldom permits much variation. The tense setpieces prove the programme can move when it chooses, which makes the long preparation harder to forgive.

*Mare of Easttown* is the obvious comparison, and *Task* suffers from having so much less humour to put beside the grief. Giving investigator and criminal equal attention helps distinguish it, especially when Pelphrey makes Robbie difficult to dismiss. The familiar turns of the case are a poorer reason to stay. Try it for the family performances if you can accept an investigation taking its time. We would have something lighter lined up afterwards.

*Fi1m score 67, published 12 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics lean positive on Task, with praise concentrated on the cast and the family stories surrounding its crime plot. Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey draw particular approval for making the two central men sympathetic, while the ensemble gives weight to the competing pressures on criminals and law enforcement. Supportive reviews find the slow build rewarding, allowing the characters’ troubles to matter when the cat-and-mouse pursuit gathers pace.

The spread of opinion is wide, and the chief disagreements concern pacing and bleakness. Even favourable reviews note an uneven or prolonged set-up; detractors find the plotting predictable and the lack of humour wearing. IndieWire sees kindness and emotional depth in the parallel stories of troubled fathers, while The Guardian finds the drama formulaic, manipulative and short of believable relationships. Comparisons with Mare of Easttown recur, particularly around the warmth and levity several critics find missing here.

## Straight answers

**Is Task worth watching?**

*Task* is worth watching for patient viewers who care more about two troubled fathers than about a fast investigation, and we scored it 67. Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey give the family scenes real weight, but the case takes too long to gather pace and the mood rarely lifts. Have something lighter lined up for afterwards.

**Where can I watch Task in Azerbaijan?**

*Task* is not on any streaming or rental service in Azerbaijan at the moment. It is available in 48 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Task, and is it suitable for children?**

*Task* is a UK 15 and US TV-MA crime drama, so it is not for children, though its heaviness comes more from grief and sustained gloom than from constant violence. There are tense setpieces, and the criminal side of the story is followed as closely as the FBI investigation. Teenagers used to adult crime drama should manage; the squeamish should be more concerned about the misery than the bloodshed.

**How does Task compare to Mare of Easttown?**

*Task* shares a writer, Brad Ingelsby, with [*Mare of Easttown*](https://film.one/tv/mare-of-easttown), and *Mare* is the better programme because it puts ordinary humour beside its grief. *Task* is distinguished by giving investigator and criminal equal attention, and Tom Pelphrey's Robbie is hard to dismiss. Watch *Mare* first if you want a tired detective and a town worth knowing; come to *Task* for the family performances rather than the case.

**What should I watch after Task?**

After *Task*, try [*Mare of Easttown*](https://film.one/tv/mare-of-easttown) (2021, Fi1m 78): Another troubled investigator, with more humour to give the grief proportion. Then [*A Prophet*](https://film.one/film/a-prophet) (2009, Fi1m 86): A criminal education that makes the surrounding institution part of the threat; and [*A Separation*](https://film.one/film/a-separation) (2011, Fi1m 93): Competing family duties produce a moral crisis without needing a police pursuit.

### Reviews we read (11)

- **Variety** (85/100, inferred): The limited series is a riveting cat-and-mouse chase structured around competing agendas between law enforcement and criminals. It excels in exploring all sides of the criminal-crime fighter divide through nail-biting setpieces. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/task-review-hbo-mark-ruffalo-1236499057/)
- **Empire**, Sophie Butcher (80/100, inferred): The review praises the richly drawn world, complex family dynamics and engaging ensemble in this dual-protagonist cat-and-mouse tale. It notes the show starts slow but draws viewers in with care and deliberation in the scripts. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/task/)
- **Radio Times**, David Brown (7.9/10): Ruffalo is well cast as the careworn FBI agent in this emotionally grounded crime drama from the Mare of Easttown creator. The series is positioned as an understated follow-up focused on a new task force assignment. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-hmj0nl/task/)
- **The i Paper**, Emily Baker (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the series a slow but rewarding character study that rewards patience with strong performances and emotional depth. Pelphrey's turn as the complex criminal Robbie stands out as particularly compelling. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/task-review-mare-of-easttown-writer-another-hit-hands-3905108)
- **The Times**, Ben Dowell (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the spellbinding depth and texture of the drama and Ruffalo's magnetic performance but notes the glacial pacing, serviceable plotting and overwhelming doomy darkness without Mare of Easttown's warmth or levity. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/task-review-is-this-mark-ruffalo-thriller-the-new-mare-of-easttown-qmtk5sxdg)
- **The Telegraph**, Anita Singh (50/100, inferred): The critic notes plenty to like in the glum crime drama but says it cannot match Mare of Easttown due to its slow pace, long set-up and complete lack of humour. Ruffalo and Pelphrey elicit sympathy but the tone is relentlessly downbeat. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/task-sky-atlantic-review/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (40/100, inferred): The critic calls it a relentlessly glum crime drama whose unrelenting misery flattens the characters despite strong craft and cast. Questions of forgiveness hang over the story but the point of watching remains unclear. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/task-review-mark-ruffalo-hbo-brad-ingelsby-1236354035/)
- **Vulture** (40/100, inferred): The critic finds that Task tests viewers' patience with its slow, predictable crime plot and generic elements. It singles out the strong ensemble performances and heartfelt family drama for praise amid the flaws. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/task-hbo-series-review.html)
- **The Guardian** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the series a formulaic, relentlessly bleak and humourless box-ticking exercise that becomes boring and manipulative. It lacks the life, black humour and believable relationships of Mare of Easttown. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/sep/08/task-review-mark-ruffalo-druggy-kidnap-drama-is-so-bleak-its-downright-manipulative)
- **IndieWire**, Ben Travers: The critic calls the HBO series a powerful, kindhearted crime drama that will bring viewers to tears. It praises the emotional depth in the parallel stories of two tortured fathers and strong performances from the leads. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/task-review-mark-ruffalo-hbo-series-1235148644/)
- **Collider**, Carly Lane (8/10): The critic finds the series a gritty, unrelenting crime thriller that serves as a bleak meditation on grief, faith, and revenge, anchored by strong performances from Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey along with a compelling ensemble. It differentiates itself from Mare of Easttown with its dual narrative and Sons of Anarchy-like grit but is held back by uneven pacing and some predictable tropes. [Read](https://collider.com/task-hbo-review-mark-ruffalo-tom-pelphrey/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Brad Ingelsby
- **Creator:** Brad Ingelsby
- **Director:** Jeremiah Zagar, Salli Richardson
- **Writer:** Brad Ingelsby
- **Story:** Brad Ingelsby, David Obzud
- **Teleplay:** Brad Ingelsby
- **Cinematography:** Alex Disenhof, Elie Smolkin
- **Editor:** Keiko Deguchi, Amy E. Duddleston
- **Music:** Dan Deacon
- **Production design:** Keith P. Cunningham
- **Costume design:** Meghan Kasperlik
- **Producer:** Gabrielle Mahon, Holly S. Rymon, Claire Shanley
- **Cast:** Mark Ruffalo as Tom Brandis; Tom Pelphrey as Robbie Prendergrast; Emilia Jones as Maeve Prendergrast; Fabien Frankel as Anthony Grasso; Thuso Mbedu as Aleah Clinton; Raúl Castillo as Cliff Broward; Jamie McShane as Perry 'Dizzy' Dorazo; Alison Oliver as Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Stover
- **Release (Azerbaijan):** 7 September 2025
- **Genres:** Crime, Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg67QKQQVoY

## Where to watch in Azerbaijan

Not streaming, renting or buying in Azerbaijan at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IS, IT, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, TR, UA, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Mare of Easttown* (2021), Fi1m 78: Another troubled investigator, with more humour to give the grief proportion. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/mare-of-easttown.md)
- *Happy Valley* (2014): Family responsibilities and police work leave little room for personal recovery.
- *A Prophet* (2009), Fi1m 86: A criminal education that makes the surrounding institution part of the threat. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-prophet.md)
- *A Separation* (2011), Fi1m 93: Competing family duties produce a moral crisis without needing a police pursuit. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-separation.md)
- *The Friends of Eddie Coyle* (1973): Tired criminals, limited options and performances that never ask for easy sympathy.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/task