J.K. Simmons Leads MGM+ Irish Mob Drama 'The Westies' in Underwhelming Genre Effort

MGM+'s latest crime drama, "The Westies," attempts to mine tension from an unlikely source: the construction of Manhattan's Javits Center and the Irish gang seeking to profit from it. Despite a cast that includes Oscar winner J.K. Simmons and veteran actor Titus Welliver, the series struggles to carve out a distinctive identity within the well-established mob drama genre.

Simmons portrays Eamon Sweeney, a Hell's Kitchen crime boss aiming to turn the Javits Center project into a lucrative opportunity for his dwindling crew. The plan requires cooperation with the far larger Italian Mafia, including a rising John Gotti, played by Hamish Allan-Headley. The series is loosely based on a real-life Irish American criminal organization, though it never quite transcends its genre conventions.

A Period Setting That Underutilizes Its Era

Creators Chris Brancato and Michael Panes, who previously collaborated on MGM+'s "Godfather of Harlem," set their story in the 1980s. The Javits Center, now a major convention venue, represents both economic opportunity and the displacement of Irish American communities whose distinct ethnic enclaves were already fading through assimilation by the Reagan era.

However, the series doesn't fully explore this cultural twilight. Where other crime dramas have found melancholy in the decline of old-world identities, "The Westies" feels dated rather than reflective. The emergence of Colombian cocaine and hard drugs marks one acknowledgment of changing times, but the treatment remains cursory.

Production design also falls short of the immersive standards set by recent period crime series. Filming took place in Ontario rather than New York, depriving the show of authentic Manhattan texture. The visual result lacks the gritty specificity that defined comparable projects set in the same era.

Characters Struggle to Earn Viewer Investment

The series suffers from a shortage of compelling protagonists. Sweeney is introduced as a cold pragmatist willing to kill his own associates for disobeying orders. His protégé Jimmy Roarke, played by Tom Brittney, demonstrates blind loyalty to volatile crew members like Mickey Flanagan, a traumatized Vietnam veteran portrayed by Stanley Morgan whose instability leads to predictable consequences.

Welliver's Glenn Keenan occupies a parallel storyline as a corrupt cop recruited by the FBI onto a task force targeting the Gambino crime family. Keenan is also depicted as an alcoholic and absent father attempting reconciliation with his teenage son Danny, played by Aidan Wojtak-Hissong. The redemption arc, however, proves difficult to invest in, and the broader ensemble fails to generate sympathy for the criminal enterprise at the story's center.

Subplots and Comparisons

A secondary storyline follows Jimmy's girlfriend Bridget, played by Sarah Bolger, a fugitive IRA combatant drawn back into the conflict when her former comrade Brendan, portrayed by Allen Leech, reappears. The subplot touches on the Troubles but remains tangential to the main narrative. Viewers seeking a deeper exploration of that subject may find more satisfaction elsewhere.

Simmons brings his characteristic presence to the role, though the series doesn't fully leverage his talents in the way that previous projects have. The performance is competent but not transformative, and the surrounding cast of characters offers little to elevate the material beyond standard crime drama fare.

"The Westies" ultimately presents a story about criminals whose declining way of life provides little emotional stakes for the audience. The series exists in a crowded genre where it neither reinvents nor refines the formula, leaving it in an uncertain position among prestige television offerings.

The first two episodes of "The Westies" premiere on MGM+ on July 12 at 9 p.m. ET, with subsequent episodes airing weekly on Sundays. If you've watched the premiere, share this article and let us know whether the Irish mob drama earns a place on your watchlist.

Source: Variety