Tom Hardy shines in ‘MobLand’ with powerful and nuanced performance

If there’s one thing Tom Hardy always brings to a role, it’s the confidence to make a big creative swing. Whether he’s imbuing a Batman heavy with a whimsical accent, transforming himself physically into the spitting image of British criminal Charles Bronson, or just committing so hard to the romanticism of Wuthering Heights that he winds up in real life married to the actress playing Cathy to his Heathcliff, Tom Hardy is not afraid to give a project his all. This means that sometimes he brings a lot to a role, be it an interesting accent or drastic physical transformation. So, it’s almost radical seeing Hardy pull back in Paramount+’s MobLand, a project that lets him exude strength and swagger in subtle ways.

As Harry Da Souza, a “fixer” to the powerful Harrigan crime family, Tom Hardy doesn’t need a wild voice or physical quirk to warn rivals he’s dangerous. In fact, Harry’s pleasant demeanor, everyman style, and understated energy suggest he’s even more of a physical threat than the reverse would. MobLand is a show that understands how to wield Hardy’s innate masculine charisma as a weapon in and of itself.

Created by Ronan Bennett, MobLand was originally supposed to be a spin-off of Ray Donovan, exploring how the Donovan family rose to prominence in the criminal underworld. Over time, and with the collaboration of writer Jez Butterworth and director Guy Ritchie, the project transformed into its own beast. Set in contemporary London, the show looks at life inside the aforementioned Harrigan crime empire. The mob family rose to prominence thanks to the work of imposing Irish patriarch Conrad (Pierce Brosnan) and conniving Irish matriarch Maeve (Helen Mirren). Now, the family finds itself at a unique precipice: Are they about to fully swallow the competition or find themselves undone by the actions of Conrad and Maeve’s impulsive party boy grandson Eddie (Anson Boon)?

We learn in the MobLand premiere that Eddie spent a night partying with Tommy Stevenson (Felix Edwards). Why is this a problem? Well, Tommy is the son of dangerous Harrigan family rival, Richie Stevenson (Geoff Bell). Oh, and during their escapades, Eddie stabs someone in a club and Tommy fails to return home.

Who do the Harrigans call upon to fix this mess? Harry Da Souza, naturally.

Over the course of MobLand‘s first episode, we learn that Harry is a man of many skills. He can manage tense negotiations and he can pull off a mass execution with cool efficiency. He’ll strut into a sex club off-hours with the help of a fake police badge and simple street smarts. Perhaps, though, the most striking thing Harry can do is keep his cool. Whatever is thrown his way, he never panics. He never even drops the pretense of politeness! He doesn’t resort to just violence to get things done. Instead, Harry uses his brain, which makes him instantly scarier.

We know, thanks to MobLand‘s bloody cold open, that Harry Da Souza has no qualms about murder. In fact, he takes to it with ease, treating it not as a moral decision, but strategic one. Boss Conrad likens wiping out two gangs in one fell swoop to pruning an orchard. Harry is simply the tool he uses to do that. Because we know that Harry is capable of great violence, his quiet approach to every situation feels all the more like a flex.

Similarly, Tom Hardy’s restrained work in MobLand is a flex. We know this actor can totally transform himself at will, and yet Harry Da Souza feels more like the public persona of the real life Hardy than anyone else. Hardy knows that what makes Harry so cool is that he’s this super adept “fixer” in the guise of a normal London man.

Harry’s “normalcy” is the foil and literal fix that the rest of the chaotic Harrigans need. Without his steady nature, the family business would soon be spirally out of the control. Who knows? Maybe even with Harry at the ready the Harrigans are about to collide with chaos?

MobLand returns Sunday, April 6 on Paramount+.