Mark Ruffalo Hunts for Justice in HBO Max’s Gritty New Drama Task

By Kyra Greene

HBO Max has unveiled the first look at Task, a tense new crime drama led by Emmy-winner Mark Ruffalo. The seven-episode limited series, created by Brad Ingelsby (Mare of Easttown), premieres September 7 and promises to bring another emotionally charged story out of Philadelphia’s working-class suburbs.

According to the official synopsis, Ruffalo plays Tom, a deeply troubled FBI agent heading a task force determined to stop a string of violent robberies. His target? Robbie (Tom Pelphrey), a devoted family man who also happens to be the crew’s ringleader.

The newly released trailer leans into the show’s heavy mix of suspense and emotion. Ruffalo’s Tom is shown grappling with his own personal demons as he closes in on Robbie, whose justification for crime—“I’m doing it for my family”—underscores the show’s moral tension. As the footage builds, it teases an inevitable showdown between the two men, hinting at a personal connection that could redefine the hunter-versus-hunted dynamic.

Rounding out the ensemble are Thuso Mbedu, Emilia Jones, and Martha Plimpton, who bring additional depth to Ingelsby’s layered world of law enforcement, family ties, and blurred lines between right and wrong.

Task looks set to continue HBO Max’s run of prestige crime dramas—delivering the kind of grounded, character-driven storytelling that has become Ingelsby’s signature.