'Luther: The Fallen Sun' Review: Idris Elba stuns in Netflix's effectively gripping psychological crime thriller
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Every actor working in Hollywood looks for that one role that he or she could be remembered for and sometimes people aren’t that lucky because they continue to work for decades but struggle to find a character that would make them immortal. Idris Elba was in contention to play the next James Bond and become one of the most influential actors of all time in the industry, but who wants a James Bond when they have a similar character like ‘Luther’ in their life? Well, Luther might not be as big or as iconic as James Bond, but it has managed to create a lot of impact on the minds of the viewers since the show began airing in 2010. The series ran for five amazing seasons and now we see the character returning for another adventure in his first feature-length film, titled ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’.
The series was a gigantic hit when it started premiering on BBC and continued to gain more recognition as it progressed. So, the movie has a lot of responsibility and pressure to be as good as the series, if not better.
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The film starts with a young man named Callum getting a mysterious call from a man who is calling him to meet somewhere in 15 minutes. Callum says that he can’t reach there in 15 minutes because he is stuck at work. The mysterious caller threatens him by saying that if Callum doesn’t come to meet him, he will send all the screenshots to his girlfriend or his mom. He gets really nervous and does what the caller says. While driving, he encounters a car that seems to be involved in an accident. People are injured and one of them is lying on the road. Callum calls 9-1-1 and as he began looking inside the car for clues, he is attacked by the man lying on the road. A few moments later we find out that Callum has gone missing and the dead body in the car is also of a person who went missing 7 years ago. DCI Luther is called to handle the case and he promises Callum’s mother that he will find her son. However, everything comes crashing down when Luther is sent behind bars for catching criminals by bending the rules. Now, a dangerous criminal is on the loose and Luther is trying to do anything and everything to stop him.
The movie starts a bit slow because it’s trying to put the content worth of one season into a 2-hour movie. It might frustrate some people initially, but once the movie starts to gather steam, viewers will be at the edge of their seats for the entire length of the movie. It’s not easy to transition from TV to movies and when you have so many stories to tell, it can be difficult to condense all the material into a two-hour film. But Neil Cross, who is also the creator of the original series, has done a phenomenal job in giving a story that keeps us hooked to our screens. He manages to maintain the soul of the series with his screenplay and did a smart thing by not connecting the movie to the BBC series. Anyone can watch this movie. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t seen the series, you can just enjoy the movie and take an idea of what is ‘Luther’ all about. Trust me, when you finish the movie, you’ll be itching to see the series as well.
Impeccable performances elevate the movie
Idris Elba and Andy Serkis are magnificent in the movie. Elba continues to charm everyone with his gritty and nuanced performance as the no non-sense lawman. The actor gave extraordinary performances as DCI Luther when the BBC series began and he continues to pump all his energy to bring out the best in him for this feature film as well. He has made ‘Luther’ a household name and is one of the few fictional detectives who have created a separate fanbase in the world of noir cinema.
On the other hand, Serkis is exhilarating as the main antagonist. He is mysterious, diabolical, and not afraid of hurting anyone. There were a few moments when we genuinely got scared of his character’s personality and felt he would be indestructible. That’s the aura of Andy Serkis and he always gets deep in his role to give an authentic performance. This one is no different.
Cynthia Erivo as DCI Raine is also magnificent.
Is 'Luther: The Fallen Sun' worth watching?
All in all, ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ manages to exceed expectations in some ways and even though it has some issues, the movie is elevated by good writing and impeccable performances. We would love to see an unedited version of this movie as well because that would erase all the little shortcomings. Nevertheless, ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ is highly enjoyable and features great performances, along with stunning visuals and a good screenplay.
It’s definitely worth watching.
***&1/2 stars for ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’.
'Luther: The Fallen Sun' will premiere exclusively on Netflix on March 10, 2023.