Guy Ritchie is one of those directors who is hit-and-miss. He has a very particular style of movie making, and The Gentlemen movie certainly captured that. Now, he's turned The Gentlemen into a TV series for Netflix... So if you know your Guy Ritchie, you already know what you're getting into.
If you're not familiar with Ritchie? This means ludicrous plots, a look at the absurdities of the Upper Class in England, and so much Theo James on your screen. Like, a lot.
And unlike some recent Netflix series like House of Ninjas, The Gentlemen earns its TV-MA rating. This is something to watch once the kids have gone to bed -- for the gentlemen and gentlewomen in your house, only.
The Gentlemen parents guide: explaining the TV-MA rating
The Gentlemen starts off pretty light. Theo James is Eddie, a captain in the Army who is called back home when his father takes a bad fall. His father’s death opens a can of worms Eddie didn’t want to be involved with. Despite being the younger of the two sons, he inherits everything. That’s not what his brother expected, and the first thing for Eddie to deal with is an £8m debt to some Liverpool cocaine dealers who have a cultish connection to God.
That pretty much sets the tone for the movie. You’ve seen Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. You know what Snatch was like. Yes, you’ve even seen the movie The Gentlemen, so you know the level of violence, drugs, and more to expect. This is no different.
Sex & Nudity: There isn’t as much in the way of sex and nudity as you would expect in a TV-MA series. You would usually expect the leads to hook up, but that's not really the case. Eddie isn’t the typical Upper-Class playboy that we see in most of these movies. In fact, the only real instance of nudity happens in the fourth episode, when you see a blink-and-you-miss-it shot of a fully nude man.
Violence: This is where the TV-MA rating comes in. The movie is most definitely full of violence: for example, a character is killed in the very first episode by a shotgun. There are dismembered fingers, blood, and gore shown on screen, and plenty of fight scenes to keep you entertained.
Language: Don’t expect to go into a Guy Ritchie movie without hearing some language. This is a British TV series, and it is made for British ears. Yes, there are a lot of F-bombs and C-bombs thrown in throughout the series. They may be Upper Class and dukes, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to swear! You’ll hear a lot of British slang throughout as well. Some of it is explained, but other parts you’ll get with context and you won’t want to repeat the words around young ears.
Drinking & Drugs: Yes, there are characters taking drugs on the screen. In the first episode, a character does a line of cocaine while dressed in a chicken costume. There’s another character who is constantly high on weed. It all sets the tone for the series.
Overall verdict: What age is The Gentlemen appropriate for?
This series is for 18+. Depending on your parenting style, you may let your 17-year-olds watch it, but it’s not made for them. It’s made for the adults in the house.
The Gentlemen is now streaming on Netflix.