Tom Hardy's Gangster In Guy Ritchie's New Show Is Nothing Like I Expected, And I Can't Get Enough

MobLand is the latest TV show from popular director Guy Ritchie, which follows the exploits of Tom Hardy’s “fixer” protagonist, who finds himself caught in the crossfire of a deadly conflict between two prominent London gangs. It has all the stylish violence and fast-paced storytelling that audiences have come to expect from Ritchie over the years, and it’s slowly becoming one of his most acclaimed projects in a long while. MobLand has a strong Rotten Tomatoes score, and it’s only getting better with each passing episode.

There’s a very specific type of character archetype that Tom Hardy is known for playing time and time again, but MobLand doesn’t indulge this expectation. Instead, Hardy plays a very different kind of individual who immediately subverts expectations and catches the audience off guard. It’s not too often that Tom Hardy doesn’t have the most distracting accent in a project, or the most exaggerated mannerisms, but MobLand is the rare exception.

Tom Hardy's Harry Has A Very Calming Demeanor Despite Playing A Gangster In MobLand

The Character Has A Unique Blend Of Calmness And Anger

Tom Hardy plays Harry in MobLand, an ambitious criminal who’s hired by the Harrigan crime family to protect them during their bloody feud with the Stevensongs, an equally dangerous syndicate from London. Many audiences understandably expected Hardy’s character to be a violent, aggressive character like the majority of his other gangster roles - but instead, MobLand presents him as a much calmer, diplomatic figure who’s responsible for keeping tensions cool between the families.

What's Going On With Bella and Harry In MobLand And Is She Plotting Against The Harrigans

What's Going On With Bella & Harry In MobLand, And Is She Plotting Against The Harrigans?

Despite being a member of MobLand's central family, Kevin Harrigan's wife Bella appears to have her own schemes going on behind their backs.

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Harry is brutal when he needs to be, but Hardy plays the character with a very calming voice and relaxed demeanor that’s totally unfamiliar for the actor. He’s the standout of MobLand’s cast, not just because of how strongly he plays against type, but because of how effortlessly his performance shifts between the calm, collected “fixer” and the violent criminal that the Harrigans need.

Harry's Demeanor Makes Him The Perfect "Fixer" In MobLand

The Character Fits Neatly Into This Strange Role

The job of a “fixer” in MobLand requires both of these sides of the character; he needs to be able to stand up for himself and demand authority, but he also needs to be good at reading people and understanding how to keep them calm. Hardy perfectly captures this balance in his performance - unlike previous roles where his characters have typically leaned too heavily in one direction. There are even several scenes inMobLandwhere Harry connects with his enemies and seems sympathetic towards them, potentially setting up a moral conflict in future episodes.