Gangs of London (2020) Review: Brutal, Balletic Crime Epic

Is Gangs of London worth watching?

Yes. Gangs of London is a savage, stylish British crime series whose action sequences are as good as anything on television, and its sprawling underworld is vivid enough to carry the story between fights. Co-creator Gareth Evans brings the bone-crunching choreography of his Indonesian action films to London, and the result is thrilling. The reservation is that the drama around those set pieces is serviceable rather than special, with gangland politics that can feel more like connective tissue than a gripping story.

What is Gangs of London about?

For 20 years, Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney) has been the most powerful criminal in London, keeping the peace between rival gangs while laundering vast sums of money. When he is assassinated, the fragile balance collapses. His volatile son Sean (Joe Cole) sets out to find the killers and hold the empire together, while his widow Marian (Michelle Fairley) and the family’s long-time partners, the Dumanis, led by Ed Dumani (Lucian Msamati), try to contain the chaos.

Into this world steps Elliot Finch (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù), a young fighter who catches the Wallaces’ attention, and whose own agenda is not what it seems. Albanian, Kurdish, Pakistani and other crime networks all have a stake in the outcome, and the war spreads across the city.

Gangs of London was created by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery, loosely inspired by a video game of the same name, and is a British series in English made for Sky. This review covers the three seasons released so far, 25 episodes in total; the series is ongoing.

Action choreographed like no other TV series

The show’s reputation rests on its fights, and they deserve it. Evans and his team stage violence with astonishing precision: long, fluid takes, bodies crashing through furniture and tight, grimy spaces used for every possible blow. An early brawl in a pub sets the tone, and the standout set pieces, including a relentless siege episode in the first season, play like feature-length action films condensed into single hours.

What makes these sequences memorable is not just their brutality but their clarity. The camera follows every move, the geography is always readable, and the fights have a physical cost that lingers. For action fans, this alone justifies the series.

A multicultural underworld drawn with scope

Beyond the fights, Gangs of London paints a surprisingly broad picture of the city. The crime networks come from many communities, and the series gives several of them distinct leaders and motives, making London feel like a patchwork of rival fiefdoms. Michelle Fairley brings icy grief to Marian, Lucian Msamati gives Ed Dumani quiet authority, and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù is a compelling, physical lead whose divided loyalties anchor the story.

The production is handsome and moody, with steel-grey cityscapes and luxurious interiors that contrast with the savagery of the streets.

Where the drama falls behind the action

The storytelling is less inventive than the choreography. Scenes of gang leaders negotiating and threatening one another can feel repetitive, and the dialogue rarely matches the verve of the action. Characters sometimes make choices that serve the next set piece rather than their own logic, and later seasons, while still exciting, lean on familiar gangland turns. Some storylines are introduced with fanfare and resolved abruptly, leaving the emotional stakes thinner than the body count.

Who should watch Gangs of London?

This is for adults who love action cinema, violent crime dramas and gangland sagas. At 25 episodes across three seasons, it is a manageable binge, though the intensity may make it better in smaller doses. The violence is extremely graphic, with torture, gunfights and brutal hand-to-hand combat, alongside strong language and drug-related content.

Similar series on the same shelf:

• Peaky Blinders for another British crime family saga with style and swagger, set a century earlier.
• Line of Duty, a tense British thriller about undercover work, corruption and divided loyalties.

More British drama is available in the Sky catalogue.

The verdict

Gangs of London is a breathtaking action showcase wrapped in a solid, if unremarkable, crime drama. Its fights are among the finest ever staged for television, and while the plotting never quite matches them, the series is essential viewing for action fans with the stomach for it.

Rating: 4/5