Skip to content
MovieCove
Task

Task

Every force has its equal.

2025–Ongoing1 seasonRenewedSeason 2 upcoming8 episodes~60 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

In the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, an FBI agent heads a task force assembled to put an end to a string of violent robberies led by an unsuspecting family man.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Task?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Task streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Subscription

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Task?

Task earns 4 badges, led by Top 10% of the 2020s and Standout acting.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Task worth watching?

Task's Midcredits score is the 89th percentile of all shows, from 122K ratings across 6 sources. 91% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

89th percentile

Better received than 89% of shows

89th percentile among Crime92nd percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)79th
Approval (how many liked it)95th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

77 /100

79th percentile of all shows

82nd percentile among Crime82nd percentile among 2020s

Critics 77 · Audience 77

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

91% liked it

95th percentile of all shows

92nd percentile among Crime95th percentile among 2020s
91% rated it 7–109% rated it 1–6

Critics 96% · Audience 77%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Reach

How many have seen it

98th percentile

122K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Crime98th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow-burning crime drama focused on flawed, morally grey characters and family dynamics.

Fans praised

  • Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey deliver career-best performances
  • Deeply human character writing with moral complexity
  • Gripping, tense atmosphere with beautiful cinematography

Detractors panned

  • Overstuffed with family drama and clichéd backstories
  • Unrealistic police work and predictable plot twists
  • Pacing too slow with excessive filler

What stands out

Acting88

Ruffalo and Pelphrey praised; Pelphrey's nuanced performance often singled out

CharactersDivisive80

Deeply flawed, morally ambiguous characters; detractors find them clichéd or unlikeable

AtmosphereDivisive80

Gritty, authentic Pennsylvania setting; bleak tone effective for fans

Emotional impactDivisive80

Deeply moving for fans; detractors find manipulation or fatigue

Cinematography78

Beautiful, moody visuals; some criticize dark lighting as lazy

TensionDivisive72

Strong suspense in set pieces; detractors find it lacking

Plot and storyDivisive55

Predictable twists and implausible police work criticized; some fans forgive as character-driven

PacingDivisive50

Slow burn praised by fans as deliberate; detractors call it boring and stretched

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 9 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 9 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2025 · 7 episodes · 6.5 average across 7 rated episodes

  • S1E1

    Crossings

    Sep 7, 202566 minTMDB rating 6.4
  • S1E2

    Family Statements

    Sep 14, 202560 minTMDB rating 6.2
  • S1E3

    Nobody's Stronger than Forgiveness

    Sep 21, 202562 minTMDB rating 6.3
  • S1E4

    All Roads

    Sep 28, 202562 minTMDB rating 6.5
  • S1E5

    Vagrants

    Oct 5, 202562 minTMDB rating 6.5
  • S1E6

    Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river.

    Oct 12, 202559 minTMDB rating 6.5
  • S1E7

    A Still Small Voice

    Oct 19, 202559 minTMDB rating 7.0FinaleSeason best

Watch experience

What is Task like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Tender · 10% of shows
Told as
Multiple perspectives · 2% of shows: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe series plays its moral and family drama straight, with a serious, emotionally grounded approach that never undercuts its own weight.
The rideThe series sustains a tense, contemplative atmosphere with moments of dread and warmth, with the emotional weight distributed across the run.
StructureThe story alternates between the FBI agent's investigation and the robber's domestic life, showing both sides of the conflict.
Episode formatEach episode focuses on a case or stage of the investigation while the season arc builds toward the family confrontation.
Season formatThe series likely follows a new arc per season, with the same core cast but a new investigation each season, though the synopsis only covers the first arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe show's moral ambiguity and exploration of grief and forgiveness leave viewers with lingering questions and a poignant sense of loss mixed with hope.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% (this title) · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

18% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe series follows an FBI task force hunting a string of violent robberies, making it a classic cat-and-mouse crime drama where each typical episode focuses on closing in on the threat.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% (this title) · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsDuty · 2% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores family bonds across both the FBI agent's fractured home life and the criminal family's distorted loyalty, set against a backdrop of duty and moral compromise.
StanceThe series interrogates the moral complexities of family duty and crime, presenting shades of gray rather than celebrating either side.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanSuburbanDomesticRealistic
AmbientElectronicSupportive music · hybrid
SettingWorking-class suburbs of Philadelphia, with the task force and the criminals' domestic lives at the center.
MusicThe score blends ambient and electronic elements to underscore the tense, contemplative mood.

Content guide

Is Task okay for kids?

TV-MA

Task is rated TV-MA. As of August 18, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (72/100), sexual content at mild (30/100), language at severe (85/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (70/100) and frightening material at intense (68/100). Overall it is heavier than 70% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 23 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland15
  • New Zealand16
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • ArgentinaSAM 16
  • Belgium16
  • IDD
  • ItalyVM14
  • Netherlands16
  • PRTV-MA
  • RO15
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeR21
  • Spain18
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Taiwan18+
  • Türkiye18+
  • VITV-MA
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 84% of all showsHeavier than 70% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 61%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 15%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 83%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 80%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 67%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: language, violence, drug and alcohol content, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Task have?

MovieCove's classifier found 3 depicted content warnings in Task: Torture (severe), Gore or body horror (moderate), Gun violence (moderate). 1 more is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory: Addiction or relapse. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereTorture
ModerateGore or body horrorGun violence
MentionedAddiction or relapse

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Task?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Mark Ruffalo
as Tom Brandis
Best so far: Their highest-reaching show role to date — the title is too recent to say more.
Silvia Dionicio
as Emily Brandis
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Emilia Jones
as Maeve
Fabien Frankel
as Anthony Grasso
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Thuso Mbedu
as Aleah Clinton
Ben Lewis Doherty
as Sam
Martha Plimpton
as Kathleen McGinty
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Tom Pelphrey
as Robbie Prendergrast
Jamie McShane
as Perry Dorazo
Alison Oliver
as Elizabeth Stover

More like this

What are shows like Task?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Task include Dope Thief (2025), We Own This City (2022) and The Gold (2023).

Like this, but

Explore by

What other shows share a tag with Task?

30 other shows share the rarest tag below, up against: thief. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.