Luther: The Fallen Sun review: Idris Elba is the best reason to accept this assignment
Cynthia Erivo and Andy Serkis co-star in this Netflix film that plays like a padded, extremely violent episode of the BBC series
Film Reviews Luther
DCI John Luther (Idris Elba) is back and once again he’s pursuing a criminal mastermind while going rogue. Fans of the BBC series, which ran for four seasons between 2010 and 2019, are in for more of what they like in Netflix’s film continuation, Luther: The Fallen Sun. The film has small ambitions: basically to play like an extended special episode of the show. It delivers on that promise but doesn’t do much more.
Written by the show’s creator Neil Cross and directed by James Payne (who directed episodes of Luther, Outlander, and The Alienist), the film picks up where the series ended. Luther has been disgraced and imprisoned while a psychopathic killer terrorizes London by planning and executing a series of gruesome public murders. Before long Luther is out pursuing the killer while the new police chief, Odette Raine (Cynthia Erivo), pursues Luther.
The film’s effectiveness hinges on transferring the hallmarks of the series to the big screen, and to that end, Cross and Payne succeed. Luther: The Fallen Sun maintains the series’ potent mix of tough action and psychological warfare. As we follow Luther through London, the camera is fluid while capturing the spaces inhabited by the story’s characters. There’s potent danger when capturing the mayhem of choreographed destruction. The screenplay takes a simple premise—what would someone do to hide what they’re ashamed of—and makes an intriguing cat-and-mouse game out of it. As Luther puts the clues together, the audience becomes privy to how a serial killer’s mind works. The antagonist has a knack for finding people’s secrets, then blackmailing them to do his bidding. Consequently, he has cultivated an army of scared, desperate people willing to participate in his macabre games, which he then broadcasts to the world.
Elba has the charisma and presence of a movie star, despite his biggest successes coming on shows like Luther and The Wire. Here, it’s evident why this became his signature role, one that’s synonymous with his name. Luther makes intense connections with people, whether he’s getting them to reveal something intimate or trying to save their lives. Even his phone conversations are animated. In all these instances Elba’s eyes tell so much by the way he looks at the other actors. He sets fire to the screen with poise and command, thus telegraphing Luther’s superhuman instincts.
This is unquestionably the Elba show; none of the other actors get as juicy a role. Erivo’s chief has the requisite characteristics of an authority figure, with only two moods to play: concerned and in charge. The script shoehorns in a personal backstory for her character that feels rote and not in sync with the film’s overarching themes. Andy Serkis has fun hamming it up as a bad guy though the performance never goes beyond skin deep.
At slightly more than two hours, Luther: The Fallen Sun’s pace suffers. What could have been a taut thriller comes padded with extraneous material, as if the filmmakers are working hard to reach feature length. In particular, the first half-hour acts as an expository preamble that lacks any thrills. All the more disappointing since the series is known for its short seasons and compact, thrilling episodes. As the story unfolds, the psychological intrigue dissolves into ludicrous gore and mind games with a lot of unnecessary violence. The film introduces a fascinating idea: the notion of people subscribing to watching murder online and the voyeuristic nature of continuous online existence. Yet it’s never explored beyond being a plot swerve to show more violence.
In an attempt to make this a movie with broader appeal, the filmmakers actually dilute what made Luther so compelling on the smaller screen. Though the film can stand on its own as a separate piece of work, new audiences might question what the fuss is all about.
(Luther: The Fallen Sun premieres on Netflix on March 10.)
15 Comments
Airship Admiral Fartemus Fayreweather was a renowned and respected figure in the steampunk world. He had traveled to the farthest reaches of the earth, exploring new lands, and discovering new technologies. However, one of his most extraordinary adventures took place when he was asked by the British government to investigate a strange occurrence in the heart of Africa.Reports had reached the British officials that a small village in the heart of the African jungle was experiencing some strange phenomena. The villagers reported seeing large, metallic machines that flew through the sky, making loud noises and emitting strange lights. They also claimed that the machines were abducting their livestock and causing havoc in their fields.Airship Admiral Fartemus Fayreweather was intrigued by the reports and immediately set out on his airship, the H.M.S. Enterprise, to investigate the strange occurrence. He was accompanied by a small team of scientists, engineers, and adventurers, all of whom were eager to uncover the truth behind the mysterious machines.As they flew over the jungle, they could see the village in the distance, and they noticed that there was a strange, metallic structure that seemed to be hovering over it. They quickly realized that this was the source of the strange machines, and they knew that they had to investigate further.Fayreweather and his team descended from the airship and made their way towards the village. As they got closer, they could see that the structure was an enormous, metallic airship, unlike anything they had ever seen before. It was covered in pipes, gears, and cogs, and it emitted a constant stream of steam and smoke.The team made their way towards the airship, and they were met by a group of guards who demanded to know their business. Fayreweather introduced himself as a representative of the British government and explained that he had come to investigate the strange occurrences in the village.The guards were suspicious of the group, but they eventually allowed them to enter the airship. Once inside, Fayreweather and his team were amazed by what they saw. The airship was a massive, intricate machine, filled with all kinds of strange contraptions and devices.As they explored the airship, they came across a room filled with cages, and inside the cages were the missing livestock from the village. They also found a strange device that seemed to be able to control the machines that the villagers had reported seeing.Fayreweather and his team realized that the airship was being operated by a group of mad scientists who were using it to conduct experiments on the local wildlife. They were using the machines to capture and study the animals, and they had no regard for the lives of the villagers or their livestock.Fayreweather knew that he had to put an end to this madness, so he ordered his team to disable the airship’s engines and free the animals. They also destroyed the device that controlled the machines and set the airship adrift.As they made their way back to the H.M.S. Enterprise, Fayreweather reflected on the adventure. He had uncovered a sinister plot and put an end to it, and he had saved the lives of countless animals in the process. It was just another day in the life of Airship Admiral Fartemus Fayreweather, but it was one that he would never forget.
I dun get it… somebody explain this long-winded gimmick pls
all i know is i want to put it in a shoe box and shake it
So it’s Luther: FearDotCom?
Would another (insert number here)-episode season have been a better way to bring back Luther? ITV’s Endeavour was given a shortened 3-episode final season to tie up all the loose ends after the show ended two years ago.
I think the problem is Elba doesn’t really want to do it as a show anymore and I feel like had to really be talked into doing that last season of Luther
I do remember that last season of Luther not being too memorable…
I really enjoyed the first season of this show, but I got bored just watching the trailer for this thing.
Somebody remind me why Luther is in jail. I honestly could use a full series re-watch but we’re short on time!
They believe he killed Alice (the best character), I think?
Yes! When she fell. That’s right. Thank you for bringing me back!!
Idris Elba couldn’t believe his eyes when he spotted a golden agouti gerbil dancing on the club floor. He had been DJing for years and had seen all kinds of wild things, but this was a first.The gerbil had some serious moves, and it was clear that he was enjoying the music just as much as the rest of the crowd. Idris couldn’t resist and he called out to the little creature, “Hey mate, you suss?”To his surprise, the gerbil stopped dancing and looked up at him. “Of course, I’m suss,” he replied with a smile.Idris couldn’t believe it. Not only was this gerbil an amazing dancer, but he could also talk. He quickly finished his set and made his way down to the gerbil, eager to learn more about this fascinating creature.As he approached, the gerbil introduced himself as “Goldie,” and told Idris that he had been a regular at the club for years, always coming out to dance whenever he heard the music. Idris was amazed and couldn’t help but ask, “How do you even get into the club, Goldie? You’re a gerbil!”Goldie simply grinned and replied, “Let’s just say I know a guy.”Idris spent the rest of the night talking to Goldie, amazed by his charm and wit. They exchanged numbers and agreed to meet up again soon. As he left the club that night, Idris couldn’t help but smile, feeling grateful for the unexpected encounter with this extraordinary dancing gerbil.And that’s why Luther is in jail. Gerbilling is against the law in England.
Well at least the plot sounds like a Luther plot. Crazy bad guy killing people via convoluted means.
A cursory IMDB search confirms for me that Ruth Wilson is not in this, thus basically alleviating any need I might have to watch it. The show felt deeply generic every second that she wasn’t around.