An iconic film about the Kray twins, starring Tom Hardy, is leaving Netflix at the end of the month. Legend, released in 2015, is a biographical drama about the Kray twins, Regigie and Ronnie Kray, who were violent gangsters in 1950-1960s London.
The film’s synopsis reads: “The true story of London’s most notorious gangsters, twins Reggie and Ronnie Kray. As the brothers rise through the criminal underworld, Ronnie advances the family business with violence and intimidation while Reggie struggles to go legitimate for local girl Frances Shea. In and out of prison, Ronnie’s unpredictable tendencies and the slow disintegration of Reggie’s marriage threaten to bring the brothers’ empire tumbling to the ground.” Hardy plays both of the twins in this stellar performance for the British actor.
During filming, he had 35 days in which he played both brothers on the same day. He would film the scenes with the brother who had the most dialogue first and head back to hair and make-up to be transformed into the other brother, before shooting the rest of the scenes.
Emily Browning, Taron Egerton, Paul Anderson and Christopher Eccleston star alongside Hardy.
Hardy picked up several awards for his performance in the gangster film.
Dan Jolin of Empire praised Hardy and said: “Hardy makes sure the lines blur. It’s a rare thing to observe: an actor creating chemistry with himself.”
A fan reviewed the film and said Legend is “the best British gangster flick ever made”.
“This movie is phenomenal,” a watcher added.
One user on IMDb expressed how the movie had converted them to enjoy gangster movies, they said: This kind of performance is simply at genius level, so good that I simply couldn’t find word to describe or praise him. I think Tom Hardy is not only one of the best actors in 21st Century, he IS the BEST! What a great gift to movie history and civilization.”
Netflix subscribers don’t have long left to cacth it, Legend is streaming on the platform until May 30.