It’s been nearly 13 years since the enigmatic Luther (Idris Elba) burst onto British television screens, and set a new standard for what gritty police dramas should be. Here in the UK, if you hadn’t seen the show you’d almost certainly heard of it, and with good reason. In this latest outing, after being recently disgraced and discharged from service, Luther must break out of prison and hunt down a twisted serial killer before it’s too late. However the clock is ticking, the death toll is rising and his enemies are closing in.
There’s a lot to love about “Luther: The Fallen Sun.” The interplay between Luther and the sadistic David Robey (Andy Serkis) is gripping and intense — and their game of wits escalates and escalates to create some serious drama and action. Idris Elba is phenomenal as Luther, as always. He has created a gritty, detailed character with gravity and depth. He’s someone who isn’t afraid to be on the wrong side of the law to get what is right, and his presence in this film is no exception to that.
Missing Some Needed Tension in Parts
Likewise Andy Serkis has created a horrifically scary character in David. It’s clear he’s not only criminally insane, but also has an element of genius to match Luther and this conflict is the crux of the drama. The very talented Cynthia Erivo, who plays Odette Raine, does an excellent job bringing to life a character who starts on the straight and narrow, but soon learns how easy it is to compromise your morals — especially when the lives of family are at stake.
The story itself is split into a typical three-act plot, with the first part following Luther’s incarceration and subsequent breakout. The breakout itself includes a series of long, rolling takes with some seriously great fight choreography. In fact, the use of camerawork through the film is really great and only compliments the tension created. The second part of the story is Luther’s hunt for the killer and evasion of the police, which ultimately ends in part three: the showdown. Through the latter half of the story, the pace and intensity of the movie ramp up well, but a lot of this is missing from the first thirty to forty minutes. All stories need a certain amount of exposition; however, the first third of the movie feels too drawn out, which leads to a lack of tension. Thankfully it does find its feet and solve this issue later on.
Is Luther Here to Stay?
Andy Serkis in a scene from “Luther: The Fallen Sun.” (Photo: BBC Films).
One of the things that has always worked well for “Luther” as a TV show is its believability. It’s always been a gritty police drama grounded in reality. However, “The Fallen Sun” lacks this. In an attempt to be bold and push the boundaries of its action sequences, it forces the viewer to suspend their own disbelief a little too much. The main problem is that some of plot points just aren’t believable, especially in this high security digital age. Added to this, part of the TV show’s magic and charm is missing and a lot of the ideas just feel recycled. We don’t get to invest in the characters as much as we did previously, which means the stakes don’t feel as high. This problem is mostly rectified towards the end, but it would’ve been nice to have this from the beginning.
All in all, though, the cast do a stellar job, supporting and lead actors alike. The movie is stylishly shot, and the stakes are significantly high enough to make it a gripping piece of drama, complete with plenty of action. “Luther: The Fallen Sun” has also paved the way for future films, and it’ll be interesting to see what the team have in store for us next. It’s clear that Luther isn’t going away anytime soon.
“Luther: The Fallen Sun” is currently available to stream on Netflix.
