19 Reasons You Should Be Watching "Gangs Of London", TV's Most Compelling Action Series

    You might be missing the hardest-hitting action series on television right now.

    Ken W. Hanley
    by Ken W. Hanley

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Last month, Gangs of London returned to AMC+, bringing the provocative, blood-soaked action series back with a vengeance.

    Pulse Films / Sister / Sky Studios / AMC Networks

    Following the jaw-dropping finale, which aired stateside in late 2020, the knock-down, drag-out crime show answered many lingering questions in short order while delivering a new round of shocking twists and turns out of the gate.

    If you haven’t had the opportunity, or do not have AMC+, this might be the month to make the most of that free trial as Gangs of London has cemented itself as the most compelling and suspenseful action-drama since the heyday of Game of Thrones.

    A young man in a leather jacket and a rifle observes the damage of a shootout
    Christopher Raphael / AMC/Sky UK

    But if that hasn’t convinced you to check it out, here are 19 more reasons why Gangs of London is absolutely worthy of your time and attention.

    1. If you like Game of Thrones or The Wire…

    A grieving family attends the funeral of a wealthy mobster
    AMC Networks / Sky Studios

    For those unfamiliar with Gangs of London, the series follows the violent clashes between the many crime families that vie for power in contemporary London after the most powerful gangster in the city is suddenly assassinated, leaving his younger and unproven son in charge of his massive empire. Meanwhile, an ambitious and resourceful low-level criminal begins to rise in status and respect, all the while hiding a secret that could cost him his life. Part Game of Thrones, part The Wire, and sporting the bloodthirsty edge of shows like Banshee and Sons of Anarchy, Gangs of London is not afraid to challenge the audience, whether it's in terms of violent content or narrative turns that keep you guessing week after week.

    2. It was created by the director and cinematographer of The Raid

    PT. Merantau Films / Stage 6 Films / XYZ FIlms

    Debuting on Sky Atlantic to massive praise and huge ratings in April 2020, Gangs of London was created and developed by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery, the director and cinematographer behind The Raid film series. If you’re not familiar with The Raid: Redemption or its sequel, these pulse-pounding Indonesian action-thrillers changed the game in terms of modern action filmmaking with some of the most exhilarating and incredibly staged action sequences ever committed to film. When you add in the expansive and colorful world-building on display in The Raid 2, you might suspect what direction the series takes in its depiction of the ultraviolet criminal underworld of London.

    3. The Hallow director, Corin Hardy, became Season 2’s showrunner

    Corin Hardy directs a scene in season two of "Gangs of London"
    Keith Bernstein / AMC / Sky UK

    With Gareth Evans busy with his cinematic commitments during the shooting of Gangs of London’s second season, frequent series director, Corin Hardy, leaps into the role of showrunner, and while the action may not be as slick or frenetic, it’s certainly as hard-hitting, gruesome, and arguably meaner than Season 1. While Hardy may be best known as a filmmaker from helming the divisive Conjuring-universe installment, The Nun, he cut his teeth with an incredibly scary and imaginative horror film with 2015's The Hallow, a movie about a family whose woodland house is besieged by mythical monsters, and which had been notably attached to the reboot of The Crow for four years, during which time Jason Momoa was attached to star.

    4. Gangs of London has the best action on television, period

    A car explodes after being attacked by mercenaries on a helicopter
    Christopher Raphael / AMC / Sky UK

    By the end of Gangs of London’s first episode, you’ll see one of the most impressive action sequences in television history, with a remarkably choreographed bar brawl that matches every brutal hit with a bone-crunching sound design that sells each shot like death. Once the scene ends, the realization hits that with Evans behind each shoot-out, fight, and massacre in Season 1, you’re bound for nearly one equally breathtaking action set piece in each episode, each attempting to top the one before it and almost always succeeding. Though Evans’ magic is admittedly missed in Season 2, the action on display throughout Season 2 is lightyears beyond anything anyone else is doing at the moment on the small screen and still manages to match the intensity and attitude of Evans’ masterworks.

    5. Season 1, Episode 6: the best bottle episode in the genre

    Pulse Films / Sister / Sky Studios / AMC Networks

    There are many fantastic bottle episodes in television history, from those in Mr. Robot, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. But when it comes to the action television genre, no series can come close to the Sixth (or, for UK viewers, the Fifth) episode of Gang of London's inaugural season, in which a Welsh gang leader attempts to smuggle his son out of the country, despite the latter having been marked for death by several of his enemies. However, when their remote safe house is discovered, highly skilled mercenaries are tasked with killing all within, leading to one of the most action-packed and explosive stand-offs ever produced, which you'll be rooting for our potentially doomed underdogs throughout every electrifying minute.

    6. A diverse (and exceptional) ensemble cast

    A table of gangsters from different crime families assemble for an illicit meeting
    Keith Bernstein / AMC / Sky UK

    Unlike most stateside mob shows, Gangs of London does a truly commendable job at casting a variety of excellent performers from diverse nationalities and backgrounds, each of whom gets to play multidimensional characters with their own depth, insecurities, fears, and principles. The noteworthy ensemble cast includes Lucian Msamati, renowned as the first Black actor to play Iago in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Othello in 2015, Irish actress Valene Kane of The Fall fame, esteemed Pakistani actor Asif Raza Mir, Under the Shadow breakout star Narges Rashidi, and I May Destroy You actor Paapa Essiedu, among many others.

    7. Sope Dirisu is killing it as Elliot

    A bearded man in a leather jacket and polo points a gun angrily at someone
    Christopher Raphael / AMC / Sky UK

    As the de-facto lead of Gangs of London, Sope Dirisu (of His House and Mr. Malcolm's List fame) commands the screen like few others, offering tragic pathos and humanity while handling his own during the demanding action scenes in his portrayal of Elliot, a quickly advancing criminal harboring a dangerous secret in Gangs of London. However, Dirisu takes the character to a whole different level in the second season of Gangs of London, especially when faced with the compromising consequences of his genuinely shocking actions in Season 1's finale.

    8. Joe Cole makes a statement as Sean Wallace

    Two young men debate their next move in their criminal endeavors
    AMC Networks / Sky Studios

    Making his name in projects such as Skins, Peaky Blinders, Green Room, A Prayer Before Dawn, and Black Mirror, Joe Cole is undeniably great in Gangs of London as Sean Wallace, the prodigal son of the recently deceased Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney) who has been abruptly ushered to his father's metaphorical throne. Masking his emotional vulnerability and complicated family dynamic with his uncompromising and unforgiving tactics as a gang lord, Cole offers some of the best work of his career to date in Gangs of London, and though this writer will spare you any spoilers regarding the character in Season 2, the young actor has made such an impression that it is hard to imagine the show without his shadow looming large over the proceedings.

    9. Michelle Fairley showcases her bad side as Marian Wallace

    A well-dressed older woman stares stoically into the distance
    Christopher Raphael / AMC / Sky UK

    Playing another fierce and unrelenting matriarch after her star-making turn as Catelyn Stark in Game of Thrones, Michelle Fairley is a force of nature as the widowed Marian Wallace in Gangs of London, who attempts to guide and protect her family when rival gangs come out of the woodwork for their piece of her husband's kingdom. Emotionally wounded in her own way,  Fairley's depiction of someone on the fringe of the impending gang war who is then thrown into the mess headfirst never falls below gripping, and the lengths to which the character goes to protect her family gives way to some of the most shocking moments of the whole bloody affair.

    10. The mind-blowing twists and turns

    AMC Networks / Sky Studios

    Of course, one of the biggest strengths of Gangs of London is its ability to follow the story into daring and shocking areas while feeling entirely organic in doing so. From the opening scene to the closing moments of Season 1, Gangs of London doubles down on surprises, proving that no one is safe and no one can be trusted, no matter how much you want to root for their character. Luckily, Season 2 of Gangs of London follows suit, with the shocks coming swiftly and heavily, including one unforgettable moment in Episode 6 of the second season that left this writer's jaw firmly on the floor.

    11. Gangs of London is unabashedly provocative and R-rated

    A near-naked man with a cleaver attempts to attack a low-level gangster in a dirty abandoned building
    AMC Networks / Sky Studios

    As an AMC+ original, and produced for an international audience, Gangs of London is free of any of the content restrictions imposed on even the most relaxed cable networks, meaning the series' in-your-face violence, graphic sexuality, and uncouth language is entirely suitable for the streamer. Adding a layer of gritty authenticity to the bold action and drama of the program, Gangs of London affords its cast with every opportunity to showcase their character without kid gloves, offering a platform for performances as intense and brash as the circumstances surrounding them.

    12. Waleed Zuaiter’s ruthless new villain in Season 2

    An intense blond man in an ornate overshirt stares at his opponent with frustration
    Nick Briggs / AMC/Sky UK

    One addition to the new season of Gangs of London that has really shaken up the show’s dynamic is the introduction of Koba, a sadistic crime lord that essentially serves as a new antagonist for the survivors of Season 1. With a vicious streak and no qualms about involving innocent family members in gang affairs, Koba immediately becomes a volatile wild card that changes the dynamic of the series altogether while participating in some of the most nerve-wracking set pieces of the new season, including a home invasion sequence that ranks high among Gangs of London’s best scenes.

    13. The stunning camerawork

    Pulse Films / Sister / Sky Studios / AMC Networks

    From the outstanding long takes to the visually engaging shots on display, the camerawork on Gangs of London is nothing short of stunning, and absolutely elevates the standards of most television programs. With staging and blocking that would put most big-budget action films to shame, Gangs of London has more than a handful of stunning shots that you won't soon forget, and that's without considering the stunning composition capturing the seedy, decrepit foundation of the criminal activities.

    14. The pedigree behind the camera

    The crew of "Gangs of London" prepares for a complicated shot with Michelle Fairley
    Christopher Raphael / AMC/Sky UK

    Outside of Corin Hardy and Gareth Evans, who direct a combined 11 episodes of the series' 18-episode run thus far, Gangs of London has recruited some seriously talented filmmakers to bring the show to life. In Season 1, Evans and Hardy are joined by Xavier Gens, an alumnus of the French New Extremism movement who has directed such films as Frontier(s), 2007's Hitman adaptation with Timothy Olyphant, and the transgressive apocalypse feature, The Divide. Meanwhile, Season 2 tasks American Ultra director Nima Nourizadeh and Narcos: Mexico director Marcela Said with rounding out the directorial roster, all of whom help bring the visceral vision of the ongoing Wallace family saga to life.

    15. The suspense, mystery, and drama of Gangs of London

    A crying and muddy man attempts to retrieve his wife from a living burial
    Christopher Raphael / AMC / Sky UK

    Gangs of London is not just an assembly of badass action sequences and shocking twists; at its best, the show works as a Shakesperean power struggle, rife with drama, mystery, and suspense as alliances are formed, friends are betrayed, and the dance between desperate cops, powerful gangsters, and street criminals becomes more immersive. As each episode goes forth, the universe of Gangs of London expands, and you care deeply about the characters, especially those who dare to have principles in a world where bonds and emotional investments can get you killed. 

    16. There’s romance in Gangs of London, too!

    Pulse Films / Sister / Sky Studios / AMC Networks

    If you think Gangs of London is just more blood-and-guts for the boys, fear not, as the show also explores several unconventional romance stories that bring more emotional weight to the table. On one hand, you have Sean Wallace (Joe Cole) and Lale (Narges Rashidi), a Kurdish militia leader and heroin distributor, whose mutual enemies bring them together in the show's most steamy courtship. On the other hand, there's Elliot (Sope Dirisu) and Shannon Dumani (Pippa Bennett-Warner), the daughter of Finn Wallace's right-hand man in need of protection as violence spreads during the power struggle. While neither receives an overwhelming amount of attention, these relationships become critical to the core storyline and lead to some of the more unforeseen story developments on the show, for better or for worse.

    17. Gangs of London does not romanticize gangsters

    A street criminal and his girlfriend overlook the damage done to their community as a result of gang warfare
    Sky Studios / AMC Networks

    When it comes to contemporary gangster fare, some of the most notable discourse comes from whether or not the world of crime is glorified on-screen from depictions of extreme wealth and flashy lifestyle choices to sympathetic portrayals of murderers and sex traffickers. However, Gangs of London should be nowhere near that discussion as the show very rarely showcases any glorification of the gangster lifestyle, from the exhibition of disgusting and run-down buildings and basements for their dealings to the extreme nature of the violence on display between rival gangs, including limbs being severed, various kidnappings and tortures, and the cost of such a ruthless lifestyle on one's conscience.

    18. Season 3 of Gangs of London is on the way

    A tired and bloodied man looks at his reflection on the walls of an elevator
    Sky Studios / AMC Networks

    Newcomers to the show may have a season and a half on which to catch up, but it's not going to be a meaningless investment. In addition to the remaining four episodes of Season 2, Gangs of London received the green light for a third season just last month. As confirmed by Empire, little is known about the next chapter of Gangs of London, especially given the unpredictable nature of who might make it out of Season 2 alive, and there's no word if Corin Hardy and/or Gareth Evans will return behind the scenes, but the third season will indeed be produced by Sky Studios for a likely debut in 2024.

    19. Get ahead of the crowd on this soon-to-be cult classic

    Pulse Films / Sister / Sky Studios / AMC Networks

    It took a while for television shows like The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones to become full-on pop-culture sensations, just as it has taken both The Wire and Deadwood to become small-screen cult classics. But with the promise of excitement, can't-miss action, and excellent drama against the background of gang warfare in every episode, it's only a matter of time before Gangs of London becomes a critical piece of the pop culture lexicon, so the sooner you get on the Gangs of London train, the louder you can yell "I told you so!" to your friends and family once they discover the must-see series.