--- title: "Task: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/task/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/task" critics_score: 62 critics_reviews: 10 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): what the critics said Critics' score 62 from 10 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 3 negative. 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. ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 August 2025. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/task-review-hbo-mark-ruffalo-1236499057/) ## Empire — Sophie Butcher Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2025. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/task/) ## Radio Times — David Brown Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-hmj0nl/task/) ## The i Paper — Emily Baker Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2025. 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 the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/task-review-mare-of-easttown-writer-another-hit-hands-3905108) ## The Times — Ben Dowell Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2025. 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 the review](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 Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2025. 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 the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/task-sky-atlantic-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Angie Han Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 28 August 2025. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/task-review-mark-ruffalo-hbo-brad-ingelsby-1236354035/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2025. 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 the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/task-hbo-series-review.html) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2025. 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 the review](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 4 September 2025. 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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/task-review-mark-ruffalo-hbo-series-1235148644/) ## Collider — Carly Lane Rating 8/10. 28 August 2025. 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 the review](https://collider.com/task-hbo-review-mark-ruffalo-tom-pelphrey/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/task.md