You're scrolling through your streaming queue, looking for something that feels like a punch to the gut. You stumble upon MobLand. Maybe you saw the poster with John Travolta looking weathered or Kevin Dillon looking like he’s seen too much. You start watching. It’s intense. It’s southern gothic. It’s messy. Then, you realize you're confused. You're searching for how many episodes in MobLand Season 1 because you can't figure out if you're watching a miniseries, a long-form show, or just a movie that’s been chopped up by an algorithm.
Let's clear the air immediately.
MobLand isn't a TV show. It’s a movie.
I know, I know. Some platforms or bootleg sites might list it with "Season 1" or "Episode 1" tags because their databases are built for episodic content. But if you’re looking for a series of ten hour-long episodes to binge-watch over a weekend, you’re going to be disappointed. You have exactly one installment to watch. It’s a feature film with a runtime of about 1 hour and 51 minutes.
Why the Confusion Around MobLand Season 1?
It happens more often than you’d think. In the current era of "Content" with a capital C, the lines between cinema and television have blurred into a gray smear. Directors like Nicholas Maggio, who helmed MobLand, often shoot with a patient, atmospheric style that feels like the "prestige TV" we see on HBO or FX.
When you see a cast including Stephen Dorff and John Travolta, your brain might jump to True Detective or Tulsa King. You expect a sprawling narrative. But MobLand—originally titled American Metal during production—is a self-contained story. It’s a neo-noir western set in a small town where a desperate heist goes incredibly wrong.
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Basically, the "Season 1" confusion usually stems from how digital storefronts and metadata scrapers categorize independent films. If a site sees a title it doesn't immediately recognize as a theatrical blockbuster, it sometimes defaults to a "TV" template. This leads to thousands of people typing "how many episodes in MobLand Season 1" into Google, expecting a breakdown of plot points for episodes two through eight.
The Plot That Feels Like a Season Arc
Honestly, the story is dense enough that it could have been a limited series. We’re talking about Shelby (played by Shiloh Fernandez), a family man who gets talked into robbing a pill mill by his reckless brother-in-law, Trey (Kevin Dillon). It’s the classic "one last job" trope, but steeped in the opioid crisis of deep-south Dixie.
When they accidentally rob a front for the New Orleans mafia, things go south. Fast.
The movie then splits its focus. You have the local Sheriff, Bodie Davis (Travolta), who is trying to maintain order while dealing with his own mortality. Then you have the mob’s enforcer, Clayton Minor (Stephen Dorff), who arrives like a literal grim reaper to collect what’s owed.
Because the film spends so much time on the philosophical musings of its characters—especially Dorff’s hitman—it has the pacing of a slow-burn television drama. If you’ve seen No Country for Old Men, you know the vibe. It’s less about the "action" and more about the "consequences."
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Breaking Down the Cast and Production
You don't get a cast like this for a "disposable" flick. That’s another reason people assume there's a Season 1 out there.
- John Travolta as Sheriff Bodie Davis: He’s not the "Pulp Fiction" Travolta here. He’s tired. He’s playing a man who sees the world changing in ways he can’t stop. It’s a grounded performance that feels like it deserves 10 episodes of character development.
- Stephen Dorff as Clayton Minor: Dorff is the MVP here. He plays the hitman with a strange, polite menace. His dialogue is written with a certain "TV philosopher" flair that reminds you of Lorne Malvo from the Fargo series.
- Shiloh Fernandez as Shelby: The moral center of the mess. His performance carries the weight of a man who knows he's doomed from the twenty-minute mark.
The film was shot in Georgia, standing in for Mississippi. The humidity practically drips off the screen. This atmospheric pressure is what makes people want more. When you finish the movie, you feel like you’ve only scratched the surface of this corrupt little corner of the world.
Is There a Season 2 or a Sequel?
Since we’ve established there aren't multiple episodes in a first season, the next logical question is: will there be more?
As of right now, there is no official word on a MobLand 2 or a television spin-off. Independent films like this usually live and die by their Video On Demand (VOD) performance. While MobLand found a decent audience on platforms like Hulu and Amazon Prime, it wasn't exactly a box-office juggernaut.
However, Nicholas Maggio has expressed interest in the genre of "Southern Noir." Even if we don't get more of these specific characters—and without spoiling anything, many of them don't leave the movie in a state to appear in a sequel—we might see "spiritual successors."
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Comparing MobLand to Actual Crime Series
If you arrived here because you wanted a long-form show, you're probably a fan of specific tropes. If the "Season 1" of MobLand (the movie) left you wanting more, there are several actual series that fit this exact aesthetic.
- Justified: This is the gold standard for Kentucky/Southern crime. It has the same DNA as MobLand—drugs, family loyalty, and sharp-tongued criminals.
- Yellowstone: While more of a soap opera, it shares the "land and legacy" themes.
- Mayor of Kingstown: If you liked the grit and the feeling of a town being eaten from the inside out by crime, this is your next stop.
- Hap and Leonard: A more cult-classic vibe, but it captures that southern heat and desperation perfectly.
Final Verdict on the Episode Count
Stop looking for the "Next Episode" button. It isn't there.
MobLand consists of one single feature-length film. If you see it listed elsewhere as having multiple episodes, it’s likely a mistake in the database or the film has been split into parts for a specific streaming platform's "mini-feature" format (which some international distributors do to game the algorithm).
How to Watch It Correctly
To get the full experience, don't watch it in clips. Sit down for the full two hours.
- Check the Runtime: It should be roughly 111 minutes.
- Check the Platform: It’s widely available on Hulu in the US and for rent on Apple TV and Amazon.
- Watch the Credits: There aren't post-credit scenes setting up a "Season 2," so you can breathe easy once the screen goes black.
If you’re a fan of John Travolta’s later-career work, this is actually one of his better picks. It’s much more subdued than his roles in things like The Fanatic. He actually tries here. Same for Dorff. It’s a "mood" movie.
Actionable Steps for Fans of MobLand
If you’ve finished the "one-episode season" that is MobLand and you’re craving more grit, here is exactly what you should do next to satisfy that itch:
- Research the "Southern Gothic" Genre: Look for films like Hell or High Water or The Devil All the Time. These are the cinematic cousins of MobLand.
- Follow Nicholas Maggio: The director has a very specific visual style. Keep an eye on his IMDb for his next project, as it’s likely to carry the same atmospheric weight.
- Ignore the Metadata Errors: When browsing smaller streaming services, always cross-reference with IMDb or Letterboxd. If a movie is labeled as "Season 1," check the total runtime. If it’s under two hours, it’s a movie.
- Dive into Stephen Dorff's Recent Catalog: If his performance was your favorite part, check out Old Henry. It’s a western, but it hits the same notes of a man with a violent past trying to navigate a changing world.
The mystery of the "missing episodes" is solved: they don't exist because the story was told exactly how the director intended—in a single, bloody, Southern-fried sitting.