--- title: "The Penguin: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-penguin/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/the-penguin" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 14 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." --- # The Penguin (2024): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 14 reviews: 9 positive, 3 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics welcome The Penguin as a grounded crime drama with enough character depth to work beyond its Batman connections. Praise centres on Colin Farrell’s ambitious, resentful Oz Cobb and Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone, with both performances winning approval even in less enthusiastic reviews. The favourable notices find the struggle for power compelling and the storytelling confident, often treating the resemblance to The Sopranos as a strength. The spread is wide, however, and those same mob-drama influences strike some critics as overfamiliar. Reservations cluster around sluggish early episodes, lengthy flashbacks and supervillain elements that interrupt the psychological drama. The Telegraph finds that strong acting cannot rescue the dreary pacing or justify the assumed interest in Oz’s origins. Den of Geek’s assessment is limited to the pilot, but also questions Oz’s appeal as a lead while finding more promise in Sofia and the mob intrigue. ## Evening Standard — Martin Robinson Rating 5/5. 12 September 2024. The critic calls it a five-star series that mafia fans will adore, praising Farrell's world-beating performance as elevating the mob drama to Shakespearean territory with grit and charisma between Tony Soprano and Vito Corleone. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/colin-farrell-the-penguin-review-batman-b1181219.html) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2024. The critic finds the series slick and fast-paced, a powerful Batman spinoff that feels like a YA Sopranos. They single out Colin Farrell's revelatory performance as the Penguin for praise, noting the twisty plot and emotional depth. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/sep/20/the-penguin-review-colin-farrell-deserves-all-the-awards-for-this-powerful-batman-spinoff) ## Variety — Aramide Tinubu Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2024. HBO's series is a masterful, twisted examination of criminality focused on Oz Cobb's rise, with mesmerizing performances that make it deeply enthralling beyond its Batman roots. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2024/tv/reviews/the-penguin-review-1236133718/) ## Vulture — Kathryn VanArendonk Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2024. The critic praises the series as succeeding on its own terms without Batman, thanks to strong performances by Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti that blend pulpy and plausible elements. The show is highlighted for its deep character understanding and confident storytelling in a grounded crime-drama style. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/the-penguin-hbo-series-review.html) ## Empire — Amon Warmann Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2024. The series offers a satisfying character study of Oswald Cobb's drive for respect and power in Gotham's underworld, with strong performances from Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti elevating the grounded crime drama. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/the-penguin/) ## Radio Times — Louise Griffin Rating 3/5. 12 September 2024. The Penguin takes too long to get going with a dull opening stretch, but the second half improves dramatically with explosive episodes and strong work from Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/the-penguin-review-batman-spin-off/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2024. The series feels too familiar as a Batman spinoff but succeeds through Cristin Milioti's standout performance and the effective makeup effects on Colin Farrell's Penguin in a Sopranos-like crime story. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/the-penguin-review-batman-spinoff-colin-farrell-cristin-milioti-1235998551/) ## The Independent — Nick Hilton Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2024. The critic sees mixed results as the series channels The Sopranos but buries psychological depth under supervillain elements and Godfather riffs. They praise the grittier vision of Gotham but question hiding Farrell under prosthetics. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-penguin-colin-farrell-sky-b2611695.html) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2024. The critic notes strong performances from Farrell and Cristin Milioti and a grubby Gotham, but finds the dreary drama drags with slow momentum and assumes too much investment in the character's origins. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2024/09/12/the-penguin-hbo-sky-atlantic-colin-farrell-batman-review/) ## Consequence Rating B+. 16 September 2024. The series continues The Batman's story with a hard-R crime drama edge full of flashbacks and brutal violence, centering on Oz's rise amid Gotham's power struggles. Farrell channels a Sopranos-like intensity in a compelling but unflinching character study. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2024/09/the-penguin-review-colin-farrell-batman/) ## Digital Spy — Laurence Mozafari Rating 4/5. 12 September 2024. The series is called a spiritual Sopranos sequel with compelling performances, especially from Farrell, Milioti, and others, and strong storytelling that adds depth to the Batman universe. Some episodes dip into dull mob politics or less gritty Arkham scenes, preventing it from reaching full greatness. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a62169426/the-penguin-hbo-review-batman-spin-off/) ## NME — Jordan Bassett Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2024. The series offers a compelling origin story for Oz Cobb that picks up after The Batman, with rich character work and complex storytelling carrying it despite some sluggish pacing early on. Farrell delivers another astonishing performance as the ambitious, resentful mafioso navigating Gotham's crime families. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/the-penguin-review-the-batman-spin-off-colin-farrell-3792209) ## Collider — Chase Hutchinson Rating 7/10. 12 September 2024. The Penguin mixes Sopranos-style character drama with supervillain elements, anchored by Farrell's darkly comedic and committed performance as Oz, though it drags in places with overlong flashbacks. It explores themes of power, insecurity, and corruption in a bleak Gotham world without quite reaching the heights of its influences. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-penguin-review/) ## Den of Geek — Joe George Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2024. The pilot struggles to balance gritty crime drama with Batman spinoff elements and fails to fully establish Colin Farrell's Penguin as a compelling lead like Tony Soprano. Sofia Falcone's introduction and mob intrigue scenes are singled out as more promising. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-penguin-episode-1-review-colin-farrell-the-batman-spinoff/) --- © 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/the-penguin.md