Guy Ritchie is the man behind some of the most popular gangster films ever made. From "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels" to "Snatch," this British director knows the Mafia story. Now, with his new eight-part series "The Gentlemen," Ritchie brings his ability to create engaging crime dramas to Netflix.

Set in the same world as Ritchie's 2019 film of the same name, The Gentlemen arrived on Netflix last week (March 7) and has already climbed to the top of the most-watched list. It is the service's No. 1 ranking, ahead of the live-action adaptation of "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Full Swing" Season 2, and the true crime documentary "The Program.

This means that one of Netflix's biggest shows of 2024 is off to a strong start, and in more encouraging news, early audience scores for "Gentlemen" are very strong. So, if you're thinking about diving into the show's seedy criminal underworld, here's everything you need to know about "Gentlemen."

"The Gentlemen" stars "The White Lotus"'s Theo James as Eddie Horniman, the estranged son of a wealthy nobleman. After unexpectedly inheriting his father's vast estate and luxurious Halstead mansion, Eddie discovers that the property is part of a drug empire run by habitual criminal Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone).

With Eddie's father dead, the British criminal underworld sees an opportunity to get a piece of this operation, but the Glass family has no intention of giving up control so easily. Their ruthless daughter Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario) takes care of the day-to-day business, dragging Eddie into a new world of corruption and crime.

As Eddie begins to get his hands dirty, he gets a taste for illegal activities, but his attempts to get his family out of the drug business and play the criminals have potentially deadly consequences for all involved. based on the 2019 blockbuster film of the same name, "Gentleman is a Guy Ritchie-esque crime thriller that mixes drama, action, and comedy.

"The Gentlemen" has a solid, if not spectacular, 68% rating on the review site Rotten Tomatoes. For comparison, this is actually slightly lower than the film, which earned a 75% rating and a fresh seal of approval in 2019.

Richard Roper of the Chicago Sun-Times described the show as "clever, sly, and darkly funny," and Anita Singh of the Daily Telegraph called it "a fun caper" but noted that "Ritchie's flamboyant direction is irksome," and advised that viewers would have to to enjoy the show.

Judy Berman of TIME magazine felt that Guy Ritchie's little tricks worked well in small doses. Berman said that "what can be exhilarating every few years in the cinema can become tedious when repeated through eight episodes," and concluded that the show "gets old fast."

CNN's Brian Lowry was another critic who was not particularly impressed with the crime show. Lowry wrote in his most negative review, "Despite Theo James' dashing presence as the unexpected heir to the marijuana empire, the net result is a sufficiently vigorous blowout but relatively less uplifting."

"The Gentleman" has endured mixed reactions from critics, but Netflix subscribers who have already given it a chance have been impressed, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 83%, which is a strong start and could rise further in the coming weeks. It also has an 8.4/10 on IMDb."

If you are an avid fan of Guy Ritchie's work, you will want to make time to watch The Gentlemen. Ritchie co-wrote and directed the first two episodes and was also the overall creator and executive producer.

Even if you are not familiar with this British filmmaker's work, you should consider adding "The Gentlemen" to your watch list. An indulgent mix of crime drama and dark comedy, it features a strong performance by the up-and-coming James. For more recommendations, see our list of the best new shows to stream this week.