Very funny, yet sometimes scarily realistic, the British series The Outlaws is now available on Amazon Prime Video. The six-part series becomes very compelling and addictive as seven delinquents are brought together for community service duty only to become a clique of discontents. Nicely acted, the cast performances are excellent and fun to watch.
The seven outlaws include ex-con Frank Sheldon (Christopher Walken) who has just been released from jail for writing bad checks. He’s an American living in Oxford, England with his daughter. The others include Gregory Dillard (Stephen Merchant),
an unsuccessful lawyer, Rani Rekowski (Rhianne Barreto) who can’t stop shoplifting, Christian Taylor (Gamba Cole) a young man trying to keep his sister out of the hands of local gang members, and John Halloran (Darren Boyd) who can’t seem to keep his business on track, Also doing community service is a member of the elite Lady Gabriella Penrose-Howe (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Myrna Okeke (Clare Perkins) a radical.
Convicted of various misdemeanor crimes, they each are given 100 hours community service to work off. Their probation officer Diane Pemberley (Jessica Gunning), takes them to an old beat up building that they will have to restore into a community center. They are told they will have to work four hours each visit. When a gang comes by and takes interest in the group, the series starts to permeate into a comedy of errors and a dramatic look at people of several walks of life.
Most of the back stories are told in the first episode and then play out in each compelling chapter of the series. I like the script, acting and the direction that hits home in most of our lives in many ways.
The series is now playing on Amazon Prime Video. The Outlaws is rated TV-MA for mature viewers.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Rhianne Barreto, Stephen Merchant, Christopher Walken, Darren Boyd, Gamba Cole, Jessica Gunning, Claire Perkins, Eleanor Tomlinson, Charles Babalola
Created by: Elgin James and Stephen Merchant
Genre: Dark Comedy, Crime Thriller
MPAA Rating: TV-MA contains violence, language, smoking
Running Time: 6 one hour episodes
Opening Date: April 1, 2022
Distributed and released by: Amazon Prime Video
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
