It was just the other week when I wrote about how surprised I was to have actually subscribed to Paramount+. Tempted as I was to call time on the streaming service at the end of the week-long trial period, however, here I remain – happily subscribed.
Why? Because Paramount+ has suddenly become the stealth must-have among the best streaming services. Guy Ritchie's new series, MobLand, has sealed the deal for me – a gangland drama with a weekly episode dropping through to 1 June.
I don't have access via the Paramount+ app, however, I'm using Amazon Prime as the primary service and paying for the upgrade through there. It's one worth paying for, though, with lots of brilliant shows building its momentum.
What's MobLand about?
MobLand is classic Guy Ritchie, who co-created the show with Ronan Bennett – known for his work on Top Boy and recent The Jackal series.
The series is about two crime families teetering on the edge of all-out war, instigated by two sons of prolific figure heads caught on a night out together. Things quickly take a turn for the worse, though, when one of them never gets home.
Pierce Brosnan stars as Conrad Harrigan, the head of the Harrigan family, whose wife, Maeve – played by the wonderful Helen Mirren – is clearly calling the shots behind the scenes.
Conrad's 'fixer', Harry Da Souza, played by the ever-enigmatic Tom Hardy, is out to clean up the various messes along the way. And there are many, one after the next.
The show has been moderately received on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 75% score from critics and audience alike. I think that's fairly harsh, but perhaps the show hasn't found its full fanbase just yet – and it's only halfway through its first season's run at the time of writing.
How much does Paramount+ cost?
Anyway, I think MobLand is an Amazon Prime upgrade worth paying for. But just exactly how much is a Paramount+ subscription?
Well, you get a one-week trial period, so you could wait until 1 June and binge-watch the full season in one weekend. Otherwise it's £4.99/month with ads, or £10.99/month for the top-drawer quality subscription.
I think it's worth paying the extra few quid, because 4K only kicks in at the top-end of the offering, complete with high dynamic range (HDR) via Dolby Vision and spatial audio support via Dolby Atmos. Well worth it if you possess one of the best TVs and best soundbars.
Potentially cheeky hack: if you attempt to unsubscribe from Paramount+ via Amazon Prime, it'll prompt you to stay for another three months at a discounted rate. That might further add to its appeal, especially if you're subscribed to many streaming services.
Whatever you choose to do, though, I thoroughly recommend MobLand on Paramount+. It's classic Guy Ritchie, combining comedy, violence and drama in one package. And I think it's worth the upgrade just to see Pierce Brosnan playing an Irishman.
