Christopher Walken makes everything better. Everything is a little bit cooler when the Oscar-winning actor is involved. The Amazon series The Outlaws shows that British crime comedies are just as good as any other genre.
Stephen Merchant is the director and co-created and directed The Outlaws. When they discover a bag of money in the building, it sets off a series of events that test whether they can overcome their differences long enough to survive.
Walken plays a con artist who rejoins his daughter's family after a stint in prison in the series. The crew of misfits paying off their debts to society includes a lawyer, kleptomaniac, businessman, activist, and local troublemaker.
Although he is the most high-profile actor in the series, Walken never overshadows the talented cast around him. Each member of the group of ne'er-do-wells gets a lot of attention, making it hard not to cheer for them as the series progresses.
Even though Walken is captivating and each cast member shines in their own way, they are at their best when they are together in small clusters that contrast their personality or larger groups that have them bouncing off each other in unexpected ways. Merchant is a master of small exchanges that yield big laughs, and those moments propel the series forward every time it starts to feel bogged down in drama.
The Outlaws sometimes seems desperate to establish its dramatic cred, but tends to stall when it lasts too long on the main narrative thread.
The strength of the humor makes up for any rough plot threads, because when the primary crime narrative ends, the resolution isn't an entirely satisfying one. Seeing the characters finally overcome their differences is a more rewarding conclusion to the series, regardless of who ends up with the money.
The series has a talented, entertaining cast, and how much you enjoy it depends on whether you are looking for a crime drama with a dash of comedy, or a character. You might have to work a little harder to enjoy the series if it is the latter. The show's talented cast, including Walken, makes a good series even better, even if you don't like it.
The first season of The Outlaws will premiere on April 1 on Amazon Prime Video.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
