Tom Hardy has a knack for playing characters who walk the razor's edge between chaos and control. His recent turn in the Guy Ritchie-produced gangster drama MobLand—alongside Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, and Paddy Considine—cemented his status as a powerhouse on Paramount+. But before that, Hardy delivered a performance that makes MobLand look almost polite. We're talking about Taboo, the 2017 crime drama that remains one of the most underappreciated gems in his filmography.
Set in 1814 London, Taboo follows James Keziah Delaney (Hardy), a man who returns from Africa after a decade to claim his father's inheritance: a small but strategically vital island off the coast of North America. Delaney is a walking enigma—mysterious, violent, and seemingly touched by forces beyond the natural world. Hardy's performance is a masterclass in controlled ferocity, making Delaney both terrifying and mesmerizing. It's a role that feels like a spiritual cousin to his iconic turn in Bronson, but with an added layer of supernatural dread.
Why 'Taboo' Is the Perfect Follow-Up to 'MobLand'
While MobLand focuses on the power struggles of wealthy crime families, Taboo dives into the grimy underbelly of 19th-century London. The stakes here are higher—not just business deals, but the fate of nations. Delaney's island, Nootka Sound, sits at the center of a territorial dispute between Britain and the United States, drawing in the East India Company and a cold-blooded American spy played by Michael Kelly. The result is a web of political intrigue that makes MobLand's boardroom battles feel almost quaint.
But what really sets Taboo apart is its unflinching brutality. In one unforgettable scene, Delaney—after being stabbed by an assassin—rips out a chunk of the man's throat with his teeth. The series doesn't shy away from gore, but it's never gratuitous. Every act of violence serves to underscore the merciless world Delaney inhabits. MobLand may have its share of bullets and explosions, but Taboo's knife-edge tension and slow, deliberate kills are far more anxiety-inducing.
The Supernatural Edge
One of Taboo's most intriguing elements is its embrace of the supernatural. Delaney's strange abilities—including visions and a psychic connection to his half-sister Zilpha (Oona Chaplin)—add a layer of mystery that a contemporary crime drama like MobLand simply can't touch. This isn't just a period piece; it's a dark fairy tale set in a world where superstition and squalor are the norm. The show's depiction of London's poor—living in filth, with children exploited for survival—makes Delaney an unlikely hero, a monster fighting against an even more monstrous society.
For fans of Hardy's work in MobLand, Taboo offers a deeper, darker dive into the actor's range. It's a series that deserves far more attention than it got, and with Hardy himself hinting that a second season isn't out of the question, now is the perfect time to catch up. If you're looking for a crime drama that's nastier, more visceral, and more politically charged than MobLand, Taboo is your next binge.
For more on Hardy's upcoming projects, check out our coverage of Tom Hardy's 'Venom' Swings to Paramount+ in May 2026 Ahead of Reboot and Tom Hardy's 'MobLand' Season 2 Filming Wraps: What's Next for the Crime Thriller?.
