Film

The Gentlemen

Name: The Gentlemen
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Released: 2020
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Lyne Renee

Other titles called The Gentlemen: the 2024 series (Netflix).

Drug-trade crime

A slick crime caper about an American marijuana kingpin trying to sell his London empire, triggering chaos among lowlifes and schemers. Guy Ritchie's fast-talking, intricately plotted machine where every character has an angle and nothing lands straight. It's trashy, clever, visually assured, and made for people who love watching smart criminals outsmart each other.

TMDb rating

3.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy crime capers where a crowd of scheming characters jostle for position, and the talky, sharp-tongued dialogue carries as much pleasure as the plot.

Skip it if you want a lean thriller with a clear throughline, since the plot doubles back on itself and the many interlocking schemes can blur together.

What it asks of you: Just under two hours of rival factions crowding one stage, so you must keep track of who wants what, and the mood flips quickly from brutal to gleeful.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

In Bruges2008

Two hitmen hide in a medieval Belgian city after a job goes wrong, creating a morally complex dark comedy about guilt and redemption. Densely plotted, brilliantly written, and genuinely heartbreaking under the laughs.

But The tonal shifts between comedy and tragedy can feel abrupt, and it takes a few scenes to settle into its rhythm. Not a breeze.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels1998

Guy Ritchie's debut: London criminals, interconnected schemes, and a narrative that moves like a pinball machine. Every scene lands, the dialogue crackles, and you'll want to rewatch it immediately to catch what you missed.

But The quick cuts and overlapping conversations can be exhausting if you're not in the mood. It demands your full attention and doesn't apologize for it.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels poster

Snatch2000

Ritchie again: diamonds, boxing, crime syndicates, and a frenetic energy that feels like watching someone shuffle a deck of cards at light speed. Chaotic, funny, and packed with memorable characters and moments.

But The plot can feel labyrinthine, and some of the jokes land harder on repeat viewings. First time through, it can feel scattered rather than intricate.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Gentlemen

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Johnny English2003

Both films treat organized criminal schemes as elaborate comedy machinery where the pieces must fit perfectly; Johnny English simply pulls them from slapstick instead of sharper-edged wit.

Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling MI7 agent outsmarting villains through sheer comic timing and physical genius. It shares The Gentlemen's love of intricately orchestrated sequences played for laughs, but inverts the stakes entirely—here, incompetence is the plot.

But It's deliberately silly and childish, with no moral complexity or cool factor whatsoever. If you want your crime stories grounded, this will feel frivolous.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang2005

A struggling actor and a private detective hunt a killer in LA. Self-aware, witty, and structured like a puzzle box where the narrator actively works against you. It's playful without winking itself to death.

But The meta-commentary and fourth-wall breaks won't appeal if you want straightforward storytelling. Some find the smugness off-putting.

Layer Cake2004

A cocaine dealer tries to stay clean but gets pulled deeper into underworld politics. Stylishly shot, tightly plotted, and James Bond-adjacent in its cool. It balances the slick crime machinery with genuine character stakes.

But Daniel Craig in his pre-Bond mode plays it controlled and careful, which some find distant. The story, while elegant, doesn't quite match its visual ambition.

Smokin' Aces2006

A dying mobster's lawyer calls in assassins, and they converge on a Lake Tahoe penthouse. An ensemble cast (Ryan Reynolds, Alicia Keys, Taraji P. Henson, others) creates beautiful controlled chaos. Fast-paced and wickedly entertaining.

But It's genuinely stupid in places, and the plot barely holds together. That's partly the point, but it can feel sloppy rather than clever.

The Nice Guys2016

Two mismatched Los Angeles grifters—a small-time crook and a private detective—investigate a missing person in the 1970s. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe have chemistry that crackles, the dialogue sings, and it's funny without losing its edge.

But The plot takes a backseat to character riffing, so if you need a propulsive narrative this will feel loose. Some of the humor is broad.

Sexy Beast2001

A retired gangster's tranquil life in Spain is disrupted by the arrival of a violent former colleague. Elegantly composed, tense, and features one of Ben Kingsley's most unnerving performances. A masterclass in how to build dread.

But It moves deliberately, and the violence, when it arrives, is sudden and unsettling rather than kinetic. Not a fun crime romp.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood2019

A fading actor and his stunt double navigate Los Angeles in 1969. Tarantino's most generous film—funny, nostalgic, beautifully shot, and focused on character instead of plot. It's pure pleasure to watch.

But It's essentially a three-hour sidebar with minimal plot momentum. If you want something that goes somewhere fast, this takes its sweet time.

A Prophet2009

Both trace the rise and consolidation of criminal power through strategic thinking and reading people; one exhilarates with style, the other devastates with realism.

A young man entering prison builds his own criminal empire through cunning, manipulation, and alliances. It's The Gentlemen's skeleton played absolutely straight—no humor, no flourish, just the machinery of power and survival in an enclosed world.

But It's French, slow-burn, and unflinching about prison brutality. There's no lightness here; it's morally serious and sometimes very hard to watch.

The Grifters1990

Both are about sophisticated con games and people trying to outmaneuver each other through intelligence; The Grifters asks what happens when the game stops being fun and becomes your whole life.

Three con artists—a mother, a son, and his girlfriend—play increasingly dangerous games of deception for money. It's structured like The Gentlemen's layered scheme, but colder and more tragic: these characters are damaged people, not charming rogues, and their cleverness doesn't save them.

But The film is bleak and erotic in unsettling ways. The ending is brutal rather than satisfying, and there's no one to root for. It's not cathartic.