Guy Ritchie will always be a huge name in the world of film, but that makes the fact that his best crime thriller in recent years is a TV show even more interesting. Guy Ritchie’s best movies are undoubtedly iconic, and while each differs in various ways, there’s often an overlap in terms of genre and story themes. The director loves a tale about the criminal underworld full of action-packed sequences and unique characters, and if it’s not broken, why fix it?
However, this doesn’t mean that Ritchie doesn’t dip his toe into other waters. Ritchie’s crime thriller TV shows are truly something else, and it’s great to see the director can still find ways to expand and improve upon something that he’s already renowned for. Over the last few years, Ritchie has demonstrated that he can make just as good TV as he can movies, and that’s why MobLand​​​​​, which is set to return for Season 2 on Paramount+ on September 18, is his best crime thriller as of late. However, did you realize that his collaboration with Tom Hardy on MobLand ​​​​​​isn’t the first time the two have worked together?
Tom Hardy Starred in Guy Ritchie’s 2008 Movie ‘RocknRolla’ as Handsome Bob
While die-hard fans of Guy Ritchie will be familiar with his entire filmography, there are some titles that wider audiences are less likely to know, like RocknRolla​​​​​​. In Ritchie’s 2008 crime comedy movie, Hardy portrays Handsome Bob, a member of the Wild Bunch gang, and a closeted homosexual who doesn’t do the best job of hiding his affections for Gerard Butler’s One-Two. Handsome Bob is by far one of Tom Hardy’s best supporting characters, and it’s strange not seeing the actor be the main figure under the spotlight, but you have to remember that RocknRolla is one of the earlier roles in his career that helped him gain the recognition he deserves.
Almost 18 years after RocknRolla, though, Ritchie and Hardy reunited for MobLand. The first installment of the show quickly became an instant hit, and many of us are now getting excited about the highly anticipated MobLand Season 2, which is set for release later this year. Hardy’s character, Harry Da Souza, puts the action star right at the forefront of audiences’ minds. But even though MobLand‘s fixer differs from Handsome Bob in a lot of ways, Hardy’s performance in RocknRolla​​​​​​ proves just how broad and complex his acting range is.
Hardy’s rapport with Gerard Butler and Idris Elba as Mumbles is fantastic. The scene in which Handsome Bob confesses the truth about himself to his boss is powerful, something that you wouldn’t typically expect to see in a Guy Ritchie film, but a moment that still feels right at home in RocknRolla‘s story. Hardy has been vocal about Guy Ritchie’s projects before, specifically about how the director’s movies can be rather “bloke-y.” However, Hardy always brings depth and layers to his characters, and while Handsome Bob and Harry Da Souza both fit in beautifully in their respective fictional Guy Ritchie universes, they’re not reduced to stereotypical action figures or “Dad TV” characters.
RocknRolla didn’t receive the best reviews from critics upon its release, but over time, the movie has gained further appreciation. The film isn’t perfect, but it’s a brilliant example to show someone who doesn’t understand the hype surrounding Tom Hardy. Plus, with a star-studded cast including the likes of Butler, Elba, Thandiwe Newton, Geoff Bell (who is also in MobLand), and Mark Strong, as well as plenty of action-packed sequences and drama, RocknRolla is a Guy Ritchie gangster movie worth watching. You can see why Ritchie is so fond of these types of stories, and that’s why MobLand is such a huge success.
According to reports, Guy Ritchie and the rest of the production team have managed to facilitate Tom Hardy’s MobLand Season 3 return. While details surrounding this are currently unknown, I know I’m definitely intrigued about how the show will navigate Hardy in Season 3, and I’m looking forward to seeing how MobLand executes it. RocknRolla and MobLand Season 1 proves that Tom Hardy and Guy Ritchie are a match made in heaven when it comes to creative projects,
