Netflix Is Losing One of My Favorite Action Movies of the Last 10 Years

Considering that Netflix is the home of The Gentlemen TV series, it would seem logical that the streamer would hang on to The Gentlemen movie as well.

Unfortunately, this is not the case, and by the time Halloween is over this year, The Gentleman will be moving on to some other streamer.

There’s just enough time left in October to make sure you don’t miss the movie before it’s gone.

But if you need it laid out for you, Watch With Us is sharing the three reasons you should watch The Gentlemen movie on Netflix while you still can.

The Performers Are Impeccably Well-Cast

Writer and director Guy Ritchie has always had an eye for talent, and he loaded up The Gentlemen with a stellar lineup of performers. Matthew McConaughey leads the cast as Michael “Mickey” Pearson, an American who made a fortune establishing a weed empire in London. However, problems arise when Mickey tries to cash out and go legitimate. For the most part, McConaughey is very restrained as Mickey. But when he’s given a reason to be angry, he’s ferocious even when holding back on his emotions.

Charlie Hunnam has a great turn as Mickey’s right-hand man/enforcer, Raymond Smith, and it’s a very different character than we’ve seen from the actor in the past. Raymond puts forth the image of a more refined criminal, but he’s not above doing whatever it takes to keep his boss on top. He’s mesmerizing to watch in action. The film also features strong performances by Hugh Grant, Henry Golding, Jeremy Strong, Michelle Dockery and even Colin Farrell in a smaller role. Collectively, they elevate the film from a standard action movie into something fun — and memorable.

‘The Gentlemen’ Creates Tarantino-esque Tension

Strong plays Matthew Berger, a wealthy American who wants to take over Mickey’s drug empire. He just doesn’t want to pay full price for it, so he collaborates with Dry Eye (Golding) and others to undermine the business and force Mickey to take less money. It’s a straightforward plan with lots of unforeseen consequences for everyone involved. Therein lies the tension about who’s going to come out on top.

Ritchie does have his own cinematic style, and yet it’s impossible to miss the Quentin Tarantino influence in this film. In the video above, Raymond’s visit to some would-be gangsters feels like a spiritual successor to a similar scene from Pulp Fiction. It just isn’t played for laughs in the way that Tarantino would do it. It would be inaccurate to call this film a Tarantino rip-off, but there’s no shame in acknowledging that it has a debt to the movies that came before it.

The Film Finds Comedic Moments in Unexpected Ways

That brings us back to Hugh Grant and his character, Fletcher. He’s a reporter who hatches a scheme to blackmail Mickey and his associates by taking the details of their illegal activities public in the form of a screenplay. Fletcher is the funniest character in the film, and the narrative device of using his “script” to narrate the movie.

There would still be funny moments without Fletcher’s involvement in the film, but there’s something hilarious about the way that Grant plays him as the sleaziest reporter you can imagine. He’s not exactly a reliable narrator either, but listening to Fletcher’s voice is one of the highlights of the film.

The Gentlemen is streaming on Netflix through October 31.