Now, Ritchie returns for the sophomore season, and Eddie Horniman, the 13th Duke of Halstead, is moving up in the world — both criminally and within the ranks of the British aristocracy. But playing gangster comes with a price, and if Eddie wants to claim his kingdom, things are about to get very bloody indeed.

Duke Eddie Horniman (Theo James) fully embraces his role as a ruthless crime boss, expanding his cannabis empire internationally alongside Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario).

The Rise of the Duke

Season One of The Gentlemen was a fresh melding of international crime and the old-money world of the British establishment, taking the collision of those two worlds to wonderfully outrageous new heights.

Former soldier Edward “Eddie” Horniman found himself unexpectedly elevated to the position of the 13th Duke of Halstead, only to discover that his ancestral estate was deeply entrenched in the criminal empire of the Glass family. Finding himself thrown into the jungle, Eddie adapted like every good predator.

As we enter Season Two, however, we discover a man whose growing ambition is pushing him into newer, and considerably more extreme, territory.

The result is a gripping, dynamic melodrama that completely captures you and pulls you deep into Ritchie’s twisting narrative of double-dealing, backstabbing and the relentless pursuit of ultimate power.

For Theo James’ Eddie, that pursuit means vying for absolute control of his ancestral homeland — and potentially reaching even higher into the echelons of British power. Beginning with an in-media-res sequence before rewinding to reveal how Eddie reached this precarious position, the season introduces a thoroughly transformed Duke.

Eddie has embraced his gangster life with glee. And James is clearly having an absolute ball.

There’s a deliciously cocky, self-assured energy to his performance as Eddie uses his newfound criminal aura to get exactly what he wants. But the further he pushes, the more his ambitions begin to spiral beyond his control.

It’s a gleeful bit of television, and James is clearly enjoying every deliciously ruthless moment of it.

Susie Glass Makes Her Move

Eddie isn’t the only player hunting for ultimate power. Kaya Scodelario’s Susie Glass is back and once again proves why she remains one of the most formidable figures in Ritchie’s criminal universe. With the Glass family empire expanding, Susie is cutting deals, forging alliances and searching for new avenues of growth.

Scodelario gives Susie that same intoxicating combination of elegance, intelligence and danger that made her such a standout in the first season. She’s always calculating three moves ahead, and watching Susie operate within this increasingly volatile criminal ecosystem remains one of the series’ greatest pleasures.

The power struggle between Eddie and Susie gives the season much of its delicious tension. They’re allies when it suits them, rivals when necessary, and two people who understand precisely what the other is capable of.

Enter the Guv’nor

And then there’s Bobby Glass.

Ray Winstone’s criminal patriarch was largely a looming presence in Season One, but Season Two brings him firmly into the spotlight — and once Bobby gets going, watch out.

He’s the utter Guv’nor, that’s for sure.

Winstone is a force of nature. He’s the kind of performer you simply can’t look away from, and his expanded role as Bobby Glass gives him plenty of opportunity to remind audiences exactly why.

Every scene carries weight when Winstone enters the room. Bobby doesn’t need to shout to command attention, but when the gloves come off, Winstone unleashes the full force of the character. The boss is back.

A Very British Bloodbath

The momentum of The Gentlemen Season Two doesn’t let up for a moment.

This second chapter moves with tremendous force, constantly throwing new complications, betrayals and bursts of violence into the mix. And naturally, everything is polished and impossibly posh in that uniquely Ritchie fashion. The tailoring is immaculate. The estates are enormous. The criminals are increasingly unhinged. And the violence is absolutely brutal.

One of the season’s undeniable highlights arrives in Episode Seven, ‘This Mad Circus’, where Vinnie Jones’ gamekeeper Geoffrey Seacombe gets the opportunity to unleash absolute mayhem. The all-guns-ablaze siege sequence is pure Ritchie — chaotic, kinetic and gloriously excessive.

It is compelling television precisely because the series knows exactly what it is. An eight-course meal of old-money gangster extravagance. And audiences will be thoroughly satiated.

Brothers, Blood and Betrayal

At the thematic core of Season Two is an impending reckoning between Eddie and his loose-cannon, morally questionable brother Freddie (Daniel Ings).

Their relationship becomes one of the season’s driving forces, running parallel to Eddie’s increasingly ambitious ascent through the criminal hierarchy. There are moments when their dynamic carries the faintest echoes of The Godfather Part II, particularly in the way family, power and betrayal become increasingly inseparable.

But this is Guy Ritchie we’re talking about. And just when you think you know where he’s taking you, he yanks the wheel.

The eighth and final episode, ‘Bring Me The Head’, delivers maximum carnage. The chemistry between James and Ings is superb, with their fractured brotherhood providing the emotional engine for a finale that ultimately pushes Eddie beyond any remaining moral boundary.

By the closing moments, Eddie has gone all the way. There are no more lines to cross. And it’s utterly MENTAL.

Final Verdict: Long Live the Duke

Season Two of The Gentlemen is a gleefully excessive return to Guy Ritchie’s criminal playground, delivering one of 2026’s most entertaining streaming television experiences.

Aggressive but refined, elegant yet ferocious, The Gentlemen wraps audiences inside its world of aristocratic criminal ambition and refuses to let go.

It’s violent. It’s funny. It’s ridiculously stylish. And beneath all that swagger is a fascinating examination of what happens when privilege, power and criminal ambition become impossible to separate.

The Duke has risen. And God help anyone standing in his way.

Season Two of The Gentlemen is now streaming on Netflix.

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With The Gentlemen, Ritchie returns to the criminal underworld he knows so well, expanding the world of his 2019 film into an eight-part Netflix series that trades London’s backstreets for sprawling country estates, aristocratic dinner parties and a very lucrative underground cannabis empire. The result is a gloriously stylish, brutally funny and endlessly quotable slice of British gangster television.

At its centre is Edward “Eddie” Horniman (Theo James), a former British Army officer who unexpectedly inherits the family estate and the title of Duke of Halstead following his father’s death. Unfortunately for Eddie, the inheritance comes with a rather significant complication: beneath the ancestral grounds sits a sprawling weed-growing operation controlled by criminal kingpin Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone).

Suddenly, the Duke has rather more to worry about than maintaining the family silver.

Aristocracy meets Organised Crime

The beauty of The Gentlemen lies in the collision between two distinctly British institutions: the aristocracy and organised crime.

Eddie initially wants nothing to do with the criminal enterprise operating beneath his family estate. His objective is simple — get out, preserve the family name and return to something resembling respectable society.
Naturally, absolutely nothing goes according to plan.

Enter Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario), Bobby’s fiercely intelligent daughter and the woman responsible for keeping the family business running. Stylish, composed and every bit as dangerous as she is charming, Susie becomes Eddie’s reluctant business partner as the pair navigate a rogues’ gallery of gangsters, billionaires, conmen, boxers and assorted lunatics.

The chemistry between James and Scodelario is one of the series’ greatest strengths. Eddie and Susie are neither conventional allies nor straightforward enemies. There is an underlying tension between them — part mutual respect, part distrust, part fascination; that gives the series considerably more depth than its blood-soaked surface might initially suggest.

Peak Guy Ritchie

For better or worse, you know exactly what you’re getting with Guy Ritchie.

Rapid-fire dialogue. Elaborate criminal schemes. Characters with increasingly ridiculous nicknames. Sudden bursts of outrageous violence. Immaculately dressed villains. Double-crosses upon double-crosses.

And, naturally, a soundtrack that makes even a walk across a country estate feel like the opening sequence of a Bond film.

But where The Gentlemen really succeeds is in its confidence. Ritchie understands that the material doesn’t need to take itself seriously to have something meaningful to say about class and power.

Eddie begins the series believing that his title makes him powerful. He soon discovers that inherited privilege and genuine power are two very different things.

As the season progresses, however, Eddie begins to realise that perhaps he isn’t quite as reluctant to get his hands dirty as he initially thought.

And that’s where Theo James becomes particularly compelling.

Theo James finds his Inner Gangster

James gives Eddie an understated physicality that works beautifully against the chaos surrounding him.
He isn’t the loudest man in the room. He doesn’t need to be.

There is something quietly intimidating about Eddie’s composure, particularly as the character becomes increasingly comfortable operating within the criminal world. What begins as a reluctant descent into gangsterism gradually becomes something much more seductive.

The transformation is subtle but satisfying: the Duke stops merely trying to escape the jungle and starts learning how to rule it.

Scodelario, meanwhile, is magnificent.

Susie could easily have become a familiar gangster archetype, but Scodelario gives her enough intelligence, vulnerability and steel to make her feel like one of the show’s most fully realised characters. She understands the rules of this world because she was raised inside it — and she knows precisely when to bend them.

A Bloody, Beautiful Playground

Visually, The Gentlemen is pure Ritchie.

The country estates, Savile Row tailoring, leather interiors, vintage cars and shadowy London establishments give the series an effortlessly luxurious aesthetic. It is essentially old-money Britain being invaded by new-money criminals; and Ritchie clearly enjoys every second of the collision.

There are moments when the plotting becomes deliberately absurd and some of the supporting characters feel as though they’ve wandered in from a particularly debauched Monty Python sketch. But that’s part of the charm.

The Gentlemen isn’t attempting gritty realism. It’s attempting swagger. And swagger it has in abundance.

The Verdict: Pure Toff Guy Cool

The Gentlemen is Guy Ritchie operating in his comfort zone — but with enough fresh blood to make the formula feel revitalised.

It’s violent, vulgar, ridiculously stylish and very funny, but underneath all the guns, drugs and designer tailoring is a surprisingly compelling story about inheritance, masculinity, class and the intoxicating nature of power.

By the time Eddie and Susie reach the season finale, the question is no longer whether they can survive the criminal underworld. It’s whether they actually want to leave it.

The Gentlemen is currently streaming on Netflix.

Image: Netflix

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This is Sherlock before the pipe, before Baker Street, before the myth hardens. He’s volatile, hungry, impulsive, and when he stumbles into a conspiracy with global consequences, the result is a gloriously addictive, swaggering piece of television that pulses with confidence, style, and just enough danger to keep you hooked episode to episode. Under the watchful, mischievous eye of Guy Ritchie, Young Sherlock isn’t content to politely tip its hat to tradition. Instead, it throws the hat in the air, cracks its knuckles, and charges headlong into an origin story that feels alive, bruised, and unapologetically cool.

When a charismatic, youthfully defiant Sherlock Holmes (Heroe Fiennes) meets none other than James Moriarty, he finds himself dragged into a murder investigation that threatens his liberty. Sherlock’s first ever case unravels a globe-trotting conspiracy, leading to an explosive showdown that alters the course of his life forever. Unfolding in a vibrant Victorian England and adventuring abroad, the series will expose the early antics of the anarchic adolescent who is yet to evolve into Baker Street’s most renowned resident.

Ritchie Returns to the Streets He Owns

Few filmmakers have stamped their personality onto period material quite like Guy Ritchie, and Young Sherlock finds him operating squarely in his sweet spot. This is Ritchie’s Victorian London — gritty, handsome, dangerous, and alive with movement. He’s been here before, of course, but there’s something particularly satisfying about seeing him circle back, this time with youth, rebellion, and first mistakes as his narrative fuel.

Ritchie’s famously dubbed “cashmere caveman” aesthetic is splashed across every frame. There’s elegance here, but it’s constantly rubbing shoulders with grit and grime. Inspired by the enduring legacy of Arthur Conan Doyle and the youthful reimagining found in the novels of Andrew Lane, Young Sherlock opens up fresh narrative ground; secret societies, political intrigue, and a brewing storm beneath the cobblestones of empire.

This is not a museum-piece adaptation. It’s loud, restless, and kinetic, driven by Ritchie’s signature editing rhythms and an almost punk-rock refusal to stand still.

Inside the Mind of a Future Legend

Stylistically, Young Sherlock absolutely sings. The costuming and production design are lush without being precious, the kind of show that has you mentally booking a tailor appointment before the end credits roll. Coats are cut sharp, boots hit hard, and the world feels textured and lived-in.

But the real thrill is how the series visualises Sherlock’s mind. Ritchie takes us inside the mental machinery of a genius in formation: fragments of thought, rapid-fire observation, and a brain that refuses to let anything go unnoticed. It’s clever without being showy, confident without over-explaining, and it makes Sherlock’s intelligence feel like a burden as much as a gift.

This is a young man who can’t switch off. He sees too much, thinks too fast, and hasn’t yet learned the discipline required to control it, and that tension drives the entire series forward.

Hero Fiennes-Tiffin: A Sherlock Worth Investing In

Stepping into the iconic shoes is Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, and he delivers a quietly impressive, tightly controlled performance. This Sherlock isn’t yet the polished icon; he’s a gifted wastrel, a ne’er-do-well with too much brain and not enough direction.

Sent to Oxford under the watchful eye of his elder brother Mycroft, Sherlock is trying, and frequently failing, to fly right. Fiennes-Tiffin plays him with restraint, allowing flashes of arrogance, vulnerability, and brilliance to surface organically. Crucially, he never oversells the genius. Instead, he leaves space for the character to grow, and that patience pays off.

You believe this young man could become the Sherlock Holmes. The seeds are there, sharp eyes, quicker mind, and a refusal to accept easy answers, but so are the flaws, and that’s what makes him compelling.

Moriarty Begins: A Rivalry Is Born

Perhaps the series’ most delicious surprise is its take on James Moriarty. Dónal Finn brings roguish charm and barely concealed menace to the role, presenting Moriarty as a brilliant Irish mathematics prodigy with a taste for trouble and a grin that suggests he’s enjoying every second of it.

At this stage, Moriarty is part ally, part adversary, a fellow outsider thrilled by the chaos they’re stumbling into. But Finn expertly threads in hints of the calculating monster he’s destined to become. It’s subtle, sly, and endlessly watchable, and Finn walks away with more than a few stolen scenes.

The chemistry between Sherlock and Moriarty crackles, laying the groundwork for one of fiction’s greatest rivalries with confidence and restraint.

A Supporting Cast That Brings the Heat

The ensemble around them is stacked and firing on all cylinders. Max Irons’ Mycroft is all discipline and ambition, a man already carving a path through the corridors of power while his younger brother constantly threatens to derail it. Natascha McElhone’s Cordelia Holmes is warm, wounded, and free-spirited, a mother shaped by tragedy but driven by love and curiosity.

Joseph Fiennes’ Silas Holmes looms as a mysterious, morally complex patriarch whose shadow Sherlock can’t escape, while Colin Firth relishes the chance to go full peacock as Sir Bucephalus Hodge; a pompous bureaucrat whose disdain for Sherlock and Moriarty fuels some of the show’s sharpest moments. Every supporting role feels purposeful, textured, and fully lived-in.

Style, Action, Momentum

Make no mistake, Young Sherlock moves. The action is punchy, the drama dialled high, and Ritchie’s kinetic instincts keep the narrative charging forward. Each episode layers mystery upon mystery, raising stakes without losing momentum. This is binge television done right: stylish, propulsive, and confident enough to let its characters breathe amid the chaos.

Final Verdict – A Sleuthing Story of Style and Swagger

Young Sherlock is a bold, bruising, and irresistibly stylish beginning to what promises to be a thrilling long game. It honours the myth without being chained to it, delivering a fresh, youthful take on a timeless icon while letting Guy Ritchie do what he does best: inject swagger, danger, and velocity into every frame. If this is Sherlock before the legend, then the future is looking razor-sharp indeed.

Young Sherlock is streaming NOW on Prime Video.

Image: Prime Video

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Acclaimed British filmmaker and all-around gentleman, Guy Ritchie, is turning up the heat as he returns to trodden ground and looks to re-affirm his guidance of the character of legendary Detective Sherlock Holmes. He takes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most-fabled character in a bold new direction with Young Sherlock, winding the clock back to focus on the famed sleuth’s formative years while at Oxford, and the result is a rollicking good time with a good bit of cracking British Rule Britannia fortitude in tow!

Watch the all-new trailer for Young Sherlock below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

When a charismatic, youthfully defiant Sherlock Holmes (Heroe Fiennes) meets none other than James Moriarty, he finds himself dragged into a murder investigation that threatens his liberty. Sherlock’s first ever case unravels a globe-trotting conspiracy, leading to an explosive showdown that alters the course of his life forever. Unfolding in a vibrant Victorian England and adventuring abroad, the series will expose the early antics of the anarchic adolescent who is yet to evolve into Baker Street’s most renowned resident.

From visionary director Guy Ritchie, Young Sherlock is an irreverent, action-packed mystery that charts the legendary origin story of the world’s greatest detective. Rising star Hero Fiennes Tiffin is strutting his stuff as a young Sherlock Holmes, and he’s got a penchant for trouble, that his good looks and quick wit have so far been able to see nhim slip loose, but upon embarking to Oxford and meeting the talented, yet mysterious James Moriarty (Dónal Finn), the two find themselves drawn into a vast and evolving conspiracy, and it’s all about to get heated up very quickly.

Young Sherlock crackles with Ritchie’s unmistakable flair. Signature action. Bold style. Kinetic movement drives the series forward, pulling audiences along for the ride. Then, it slows—just for a beat—letting the greater scope of a long-form narrative unfold. Ritchie seizes the chance. He dives deep, exploring the origins of Sherlock Holmes with the feverish energy of a recent convert to streaming. Each episode packs a punch. Each moment speeds by, only to catch you off guard. This is not your typical Holmes, and this is going to be a very interesting watch.

Alongside Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes and Dónal Finn as James Moriarty, the series has a stacked cast including the likes of Zine Tseng as Princess Gulun Shou’an, a young Chinese princess, scholar, and martial artist, Joseph Fiennes as Silas Holmes, Sherlock and Mycroft’s adventurous father, Natascha McElhone as Cordelia Holmes, Sherlock and Mycroft’s artistic mother, Max Irons as Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s older brother and Colin Firth as Sir Bucephalus Hodge.

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Brace yourself for this cunning new series when all eight episodes of the series premiere exclusively on Prime Video on March 4.

Image: Prime Video

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British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a group of military officials hatch a daring plan to neutralise Hitler’s fleet of German U-boats during World War II. Made up of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks, the top-secret combat unit uses unconventional techniques to battle the Nazis and change the course of the war.

When Guy Ritchie steps behind the camera, you know you’re going to get a hard-charging dose of pure machismo. The latest work from this self-described “cashmere caveman” is a rollicking good bit of fun. Drawing from true historical sources and the clandestine actions of the Special Operations Executive and the Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) in their role in Operation Postmaster, the first-ever Special Forces mission designed to cripple the Nazi U-Boat power and their hold over the Pacific.

From the moment it starts, you know that The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is going to be good. Ritchie brings his unique sense of creativity and play to the picture, and his use of high-powered action mixed in with deft comedic moments will keep audiences on guard. Step by step, the momentum of the picture moves forward at pace.

While watching The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, you feel as if you’re observing a group of modern-day pirates. At the commission of Sir Winston Churchill, they’ve been given the command to “Cry ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs of war.” Ritchie and his cast and crew have a blast with this sensational yet entirely true story of a group of outsiders, reprobates, and insubordinates who, when their country called upon them, stepped up to the call of duty and went all the way to deliver a significant blow to Hitler’s war effort. The film has an almost ‘Spaghetti Western’ vibe to it, but even with its quick-witted characters and outlandish action, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a deeply serious matter. This is a do-or-die mission where only total victory will do.

Taking commando of this unruly group of commando pirates is Henry Cavill in the role of Major Gus March-Phillipps, a wily and clever soldier who is not fond of rules and intends to break them and who will lead the fight into the Valley of the Beast of Operation Postmaster. Cavill is a perfect fit for the sharp and quick-witted March-Phillipps, and he moves quickly to establish his mission, and he’ll go to great lengths to see it completed. It’s fantastic to see Cavill back in league with Ritchie, and the two are having a blast as Cavill is in full hero mode and taking out Nazi’s left, right and centre at the end of a silenced STEN gun. He’s an apt leader for this ‘man on a mission’ picture, and it’s a radically different type of character that allows Cavill to play with his range as an actor and try something new as this almost ‘prototypical’ James Bond-esque spy leader.

Assembled behind Cavil is a whose-who of talent, including Alan Ritchson, Eiza González, Henry Golding, Alex Pettyfer, Babs Olusanmokun, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Cary Elwes, Freddie Fox, and Rory Kinnear as Churchill. All of them leave their mark on the picture, and each has their moment to shine, something that Ritchie is good at doing with his characters. Standouts from the cast include Alan Ritchson as the hulking ‘Danish Viking’ Anders Lassen, a deer-hunting, bear-wrestling aristocrat turned Nazi hunter who utilises a bow and arrow and sheer ferocity to take out his sworn enemies. And he’s a hoot to watch. Eiza González brings incredible class and sophistication as SOE agent Marjorie Stewart, who has the task of seducing high-ranking Nazi Heinrich Luhr (Til Schweiger) and whose mission is a personal one. Henry Golding is a filled pyromaniac glee as explosives expert Freddy Alvarez, and he makes everything go BOOM. Freddie Fox is a deft choice as Ian Fleming, and Rory Kinnear is utterly brilliant as Sir Winston Churchill.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare has a swift kinetic pace, and Ritchie clarifies that this is a do-or-die mission. Ritchie keeps things interesting, throwing problem after problem at Cavill’s March-Phillipps and his pirates. This keeps the tension of the picture interesting and gives our heroes some real stakes to go after. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a real throwback to those classic war pictures and action films that we grew up on, and you’re fully invested as an audience member. As the mission to infiltrate the island of Fernando Po draws nearer and nearer, the tautness of the picture escalates, and you’ll be holding on for dear life as these brave men and women go into the fire against a guns-blazing Nazi defence. Hot lead is spent, and things go BOOM very quickly, and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a damn explosive narrative to witness.

Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an epic WWII thriller with all the trimmings, and it will have your adrenal gland working overtime. This is an exciting, daring and clever piece of work, and it is a tribute to the men and women of the SOE who went beyond their duty and whose actions saved our world for good. It’s a truly heroic story in every sense of the word, and in my mind, it is the type of picture audiences desperately need now. It’s fun, zany and utterly adrenaline-soaked, and you’ll have the time of your life watching it.

Image: Prime Video

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After his unit is ambushed in Afghanistan, American Special Forces soldier Sgt. John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) finds himself indebted to local interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim). When it becomes clear to Kinley that Ahmed and his family will be left behind and at the mercy of the Taliban, Kinley mounts a dramatic rescue message to get his friend out alive.

As the king of machismo filmmaking, Guy Ritchie has inherited the seat of stalwarts such as the great John Sturgess and Sam Peckinpah, and he’s a director who works at pace. His films are filled with tough guy characters, back-and-forth banter, crazy action elements and flawless sartorial style. And The Covenant is a picture where Ritchie seeks to challenge all of that. Trading his usual cockney gangsters for the war-torn battlefield of Afghanistan and the War on Terror, Ritchie tells a deeply brave and emotional story of loyalty under heavy fire. The Covenant is a picture that seeks to honour the warrior ethos. It’s a story of absolute true grit as two men from entirely different worlds have to set aside their differences in order to survive the pure horrors of modern warfare.

Front and centre in The Covenant is Jake Gyllenhaal as Sgt. John Kinley, an American Special Forces soldier who is tasked with destroying Taliban munitions. Brash, stern and slightly jaded, Kinley is a man who doesn’t suffer fools and who thinks he has all the answers. But when fate takes a different turn, Kinley soon finds himself indebted to a man he hardly knows, and his military honour won’t let him forget it. Gyllenhaal has a long history of portraying military men, and you see all of these experiences go into this role. He also benefits from Ritchie’s ‘man of few words’ style, and Kinley’s mission is a tough one that pushes Gyllenhaal as a performer. It’s clear that Gyllenhaal is aware of the gravitas of this picture, and he brings his A-game to the narrative.

Playing opposite Gyllenhaal’s Kinley is Dar Salim as Ahmed, a local Afghan interpreter whose reasons for taking on such a dangerous task are not so clear. From the start, there’s a broad contrast between Kinley and Ahmed and Ritchie focuses on this heavily. But when all hell breaks lose, and Kinley’s life is suddenly thrust into Ahmed’s care, this man proves himself to be a brother to his comrade, and the two of them set off on a journey that will change their lives forever. Salim brings quiet confidence and strength to the role of Ahmed, and his loyalty to his family and country is absolute. His performance is incredibly respectful of the Afghan interpreters who fearlessly faced the terrorist insurgency, and there’s nothing he won’t sacrifice to protect his family.

While Gyllenhaal and Salim are the principal players, The Covenant also has a great supporting cast lined up. Alexander Skarsgard puts in a good turn as Kinley’s superior, Sgt. Declan O’Brady who misses the field and acts as a conscience to Kinley. Antony Starr has considerable swagger as private military contractor Eddie Parker, who becomes Kinley’s ‘boots on the ground’ support and brings a solid authority to the picture. And finally, Emily Beecham brings considerable empathy to the role of Kinley’s wife, Caroline, who reminds her husband of the oath that he owes to Ahmed and pushes her husband to do the right and difficult thing when all seems lost.

Ritchie finds the right balance of drama and action with The Covenant, and both are delivered on-screen with explosive force. Known as a bit of gearhead and with an eye for detail, Ritchie gets the combat of the picture right, and there are plenty of CQB gunfights to keep audiences engaged. Paired with the filmmaker’s innovative camera work and the desire to keep things ‘creative’, leads to plenty of intense moments. The film’s third act is filled with BOOM in a do-or-die gunfight between Kinley and Ahmed and an army of terrorist insurgents. Matched to the action is a deeply dramatic story that focuses on themes of honour, loyalty and a debt that needs to be repaid, and The Covenant is an emotionally stirring picture.

The Covenant is an altogether different kind of film experience from Guy Ritchie, and audiences will fully embrace it. It’s a movie whose story is ripped from real-world headlines, and it honours the soldiers and interpreters who sacrificed so much when going down range.

Image: Prime Video

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Elite spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant). Reluctantly teamed up with some of the world’s best operatives, Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood’s biggest movie star, Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett), to help them on their globe-trotting mission to save the world.

Regarded as the king of machismo action cinema, celebrated filmmaker Guy Ritchie makes his long-awaited return to cinemas with Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, a wickedly fun spy-adventure-thriller that injects a dose of new energy into the genre and will leave audiences grooving in their seats. This is a film that is pure Ritchie, as a crack team of ace spies combats black market dealings, double-crossing mercenaries, vicious gangsters and one very slimy arms dealer in order to save the world. And it’s a rush. Joining forces again with long-time collaborator Jason Statham, hot off their work together on the intense and dark Wrath of Man, Operation Fortune offers Ritchie and Statham a new road to speed down and its cracking pace, bold action and pitch-perfect comedy is what cinema fun is made of.

As one of the best directors working today, Ritchie brings his own brand of creativity to the screen once more and again he mixes things up with Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. This global-spanning spy adventure is packed full of classic flair mixed with some cutting-edge drama, and Ritchie goes to town with this picture. With an equal mix of crackling gunfire, heavy punches, and terrific banter between a whole host of very unique espionage characters, Operation Fortune is the director’s take on the classic spy team-up film, and he keeps his audience’s heart racing the whole way through.

Once again front and centre is Ritchie’s long-time collaborator and good friend Jason Statham, and this time he mixes it up as the intrepid super-spy Orson Fortune, who has some very interesting quirks. This modern-day spy is a dashing man of action who has a real fondness for the good life and who is all too happy to max out his agency’s expense account to enjoy it. But in addition to the tailored suits, private jets and vintage wines, he’s also an exceedingly capable and exceptionally dangerous individual who knows his way around a gun, and Statham brings his usual can-do attitude to the film’s action scenes. Along with kicking ass he also gets to crack plenty of jokes, and it’s very apparent that he had a blast with this one-of-a-kind spy.

Paired with Statham’s Fortune and mixing it up is Aubrey Plaza as the sultry and quick-witted Sarah Fidel, the team’s computer expert and hacker. And this is Plaza in a performance unlike you’ve ever seen her before. Plaza is exceptionally glamorous and alluring as Fidel, but also dangerously astute and she likes nothing better than to push Statham’s button. And the result is comedic brilliance. Plaza also isn’t content to just sit behind a desk either, and she jumps head-first into the fray, and goes all out with the film’s exceptional action scenes.

Continuing in his return to form is Hollywood hunk Josh Hartnett who has been making quite a big comeback as of late and again he turns in another stellar performance here in Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. Cast as Hollywood’s biggest star Danny Francesco, Hartnett portrays an outlandish, childish buffoon who is forced into joining Fortune’s team, after his penchant for debauchery gets him into trouble and soon has to take on the biggest role of his career. Hartnett leans heavily into this over-sexed, drugged-up poser of a movie star and he’s an absolute riot in the role. He also gets some serious time behind the wheel in the film’s stunning car chase and lives out a Steve McQueen fantasy as he slams on the accelerator in a wild chase scene that will flaw audiences.

Finally bringing Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre together is the one and only Hugh Grant and he gives one very naughty performance as the playful, but dangerous billionaire arms dealer Greg Simmons. Brash, uncouth, loud and crass, Grant gives a transformative performance as one of the world’s most dangerous villains who like his money, his cars and his women, and who poses quite a threat in Operation Fortune. From the moment he appears on screen Grant steals every scene that he’s in and his presence is undoubtedly the best part of the film. This is Grant unlike you’ve ever seen him before, and Ritchie knows how to help him take it to the next level, and this is one devious and menacing villain you won’t soon forget.

For those who like their spy films with exotic locations, explosive action and decadent glamour, well, you’ll be very happy with Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. This is a fast-paced kinetic piece of cinema, and its pure pop energy will absolutely speak to audiences who are looking for a rush. Thanks to his innovative and rapid style of filmmaking, Ritchie invests a real sense of creativity and energy into this picture and the results show on the screen. This is the spy genre done the way we like it, and the end product demands to be seen on the big screen.

From beginning to end, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is pure class and proves why Guy Ritchie is one of the most exciting and dynamic filmmakers working today. Narrative, action, character and comedy all come together for an exhilarating time at the movies with Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre.

Image: Roadshow Films

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After the intense rush of action that they delivered in 2021’s Wrath of Man, Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham are heading back to cinemas for a good ol’fashioned jaunt into the espionage genre with Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre…and this is a spy film that is guaranteed to be a very slick ride.

Watch the brand new trailer below:

Here’s the official synopsis for Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre:

In the film, super-spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant). Reluctantly teamed with some of the world’s best operatives (Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone), Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood’s biggest movie star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) to help them on their globe-trotting undercover mission to save the world.

Presented as a globe-trotting action-adventure, Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre follows ace super spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) and his hand-picked team (Aubrey Plaza, Bugzy Malone) who work for spymaster Nathan Jasmine (Cary Elwes) who have to stop the sale of a deadly new weapon to the lavish and loud billionaire arms dealer Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant), and the only way they can get Simmonds attention is to blackmail Hollywood’s biggest star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) to help them do it.

From there it’s a rush of double-crosses, gunfights, fistfights, car chases, explosions, scintillating seductions and all-around crazy moments as Fortune and his team race against time to stop Simmonds from getting his hands on this diabolical weapon.

For anyone wondering what a Jason Statham James Bond would look like, well, Orson Fortune is pretty much that character and he cuts a dapper figure as this very rough and ready character who fits out a tuxedo perfectly, but who can also go to work with his fists when needed.

Changing gears this time around is Aubrey Plaza and she cuts a stylish, sexy, glamourous figure as a member of Fortune’s team. Known for her dry wit, Plaza changes gears here as this alluring and capable secret agent and she completely hold her own in the trailer and in my opinion her performance here is going to be a real revelation.

This isn’t the first time Guy Ritchie has ventured into the spy genre as he brought a sense of retro cool back to the big screen with 2015’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and his work here on Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre continues in that vein. Slick, sexy and action-packed, Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre also has a terrific comedic buzz about it and is Guy Ritchie just the way we like it.

Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre looks like a solid action spy film and will make for a very time at the movies when it arrives IN CINEMAS next year on January 12, 2023.

Images: Roadshow Films

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A mysterious and wild-eyed new cash truck security guard named H (Jason Statham) surprises his coworkers during a heist in which he unexpectedly unleashes precision skills. The crew is left wondering who he is and where he came from. Soon, the marksman’s ultimate motive becomes clear as he takes dramatic and irrevocable steps to settle a score.

In Wrath of Man noted writer-director Guy Ritchie applies his unique brand of filmmaking to an intense and dark story of bloody revenge. As a filmmaker who is all business, and deeply devoted to his craft, Ritchie brings everything to the table with Wrath of Man and he anties up in good form. Taking inspiration from 2004 French film Le Convoyeur, Ritchie reshapes the narrative into Wrath of Man, a no-holds-barred dark-noir revenge, action thriller that delivers one hell of a punch and hits with the force of an M4 on full auto. Blending together a group of dangerous villains, and a compelling story, Ritchie never eases off the tension with this one, and re-teaming with long time friend and collaborator Jason Statham results in one hell of an intense watch.

Ritchie makes Wrath of Man his darkest and most brutal film to date and he uses his own unique film stylings and the length and breadth of the film noir genre to help him accomplish it. This film is film noir that cuts right to the bone, and with a narrative that features bad men doing bad things, Ritchie is able to take things right to the edge. Cinematographer Alan Stewart gives the film it’s own unique swagger and cool, while composer Christopher Benstead’s dark and moody score builds out the atmosphere that guides H’s deadly hand as he exacts his brutal plan for vengeance.

Jason Statham got his start with Guy Ritchie’s cult classic gangster film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrells, and both men have come a long way since its 1998 release. Now regarded as one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars, it’s excellent timing to see Statham re-teaming with Ritchie for Wrath of Man and these two old pals don’t waste a second with this one. As H, a mysterious and highly-skilled stranger, Statham oozes brooding cool as this dangerous and calculating individual and when he starts to go to work, the bodies soon pile up, and his ultimate agenda reveals itself piece by bloody piece.

Ritchie knows how to use Statham in the best way possible and he lets him work his brutal magic as the mysterious H. And this is a character who will scare and enthral you all at the same time. Wrath of Man is Statham’s darkest film to date and he brings this unhinged and stalking animal predator quality to H as he goes through the motions of hunting down those he holds responsible for a great tragedy in his life and the results will have audiences hooked. Statham is the ultimate anti-hero in Wrath of Man and he gives a seriously intense performance with material that works for him in all the right places.

Providing a great measure of support within Wrath of Man is an eclectic group of supporting characters who all have their moments to shine. There’s Holt McCallany as the affable, working stiff Bullet who has the run of the depot and all of its inner workings. Josh Hartnett changes things up as the cocky and loud-mouth Boy Sweat Dave, who isn’t as tough as he pretends to be and quickly ends up on H’s shit list. And then there’s Niamh Algar as the tough-talking and capable Dana, the only woman working in the depot and who quickly earns the respect and admiration of H. Ritchie lets all of these performers shine in their roles and each as their role to play in this dark and twisting narrative.

Facing off against Statham’s mysterious H are a crew of technically proficient and dangerous armed robbers lead by the calculating Jackson (Jeffery Donovan) who has his eyes set on the cash truck business. Donovan’s Jackson brings a keen sense for strategy and tactics to the table and it’s a role he excels in. But while Donovan’s Jackson might be the brains behind the operation it’s Scott Eastwood’s Jan who is the trigger man. And he’s one dangerous foe to contend with. Best described as a cold and calculating psychopath with a hair-trigger temper and itchy trigger finger, Eastwood excels as this full-on bad guy who is the real impulse of his particular crew and he’s a hell of a lot of fun to watch up on screen because of it.

Ritchie and his team crank up the action with Wrath of Man and this is one film that goes downrange with plenty of spent led. A combination of sophisticated action set-pieces and in-your-face-violence marks Wrath of Man out as something different in our current cinema age and when the bullets start flying prepare for your adrenaline to spike. Ritchie again uses action as narrative and when we see H behind the barrel of a G-36 the results are explosive and deafening all at the same time. Ritchie wastes no time in seriously cranking this one all the way up and the action is delivered with the director’s trademark intensity that results in one hell of a show.

In terms of its thematic quality, the idea of vengeance, a visceral and in-your-face vengeance is thoroughly explored as are the inner workings of different sets of the criminal underclass. Ritchie also explores the ideas of villain vs villain instead of the usual hero vs villain motif and I must say that this narrative exploration makes it that much more interesting as a narrative presentation. We view the entire length of H’s vengeance throughout this movie, and it’s interesting to see the emotional impact that it has upon this cold and distant character through the interactions and relationships held between fathers and sons, and Wrath of Man is a film that certainly has an effect on audiences who watch it.

Wrath of Man is a revenge film with a capital R and this film delivers an uncompromising dose of gritty action that will make you sit up and take notice. You won’t find a more badass film to watch this year than this one.

Image: Studio Canal

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Watch the all-new trailer for Wrath of Man now:

Here’s the official synopsis:

A mysterious and wild-eyed new cash truck security guard named H (Jason Statham) surprises his coworkers during a heist in which he unexpectedly unleashes precision skills. The crew is left wondering who he is and where he came from. Soon, the marksman’s ultimate motive becomes clear as he takes dramatic and irrevocable steps to settle a score.

Ritchie and Statham go old school with the action here in Wrath of Man, and this is a back to basics action piece that brings to life that classic no-holds-barred action of the late 1970s, and audiences who are seeking a rush will be in for all kinds of fun with this one.

Set to a dark and moody remix of Johnny Cash’s famed ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ the first trailer for Wrath of Man goes for it with everything that it’s got and promises an intense ride with plenty of turns and twists. Ritchie by all accounts has had a blast going to work again with Statham, and these two really have created something intriguing, with action that goes right for the jugular.

Ritchie has also assembled a cracking supporting cast for Wrath of Man which includes Holt McCallany, Jeffrey Donovan, Josh Hartnett, Laz Alonzo, Raúl Castillo and Scott Eastwood as the film’s lead bag guy and the target of H’s fury.

Wrath of Man is shaping up to be the perfect action vehicles for film fans who have been wishing for a rush, and after the long-dry spell of COVID-19 I can think of no better film to get audiences back out into cinemas for an experience that is sure to get them amped up as Statham cracks skulls and takes names.

Get ready for a hard-boiled serving of explosive action cinema when Wrath of Man arrives in cinemas on April 29.

Image: Studio Canal

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