Luther: The Fallen Sun
This feature-length spin-off is only likely to appeal to existing fans of the TV show, who are familiar with its over-the-top tone and theatrics. But even then, this is more of an intriguing coda to the show, rather than an essential new chapter.
Premise: Disgraced cop John Luther (Idris Elba) feels he has no choice but to break himself out of prison when serial killer David Robey (Andy Serkis) taunts him about the last unsolved case that he was investigating when he was arrested. But hot on Luther’s trail are the new head of his former unit, DCI Odette Raine (Cynthia Erivo), and Luther’s old boss, retired DSU Martin Schenk (Dermot Crowley).
Review:
I’m really not sure what anyone who hasn’t seen the Luther TV show would make of this feature length spin-off, as it doesn’t really spend any time explaining John Luther’s backstory or explaining why he’s in prison at the start of the film. That said, even if you’re a long-time fan of the TV show like me, you may still find the start of this Netflix movie confusing, as it really doesn’t seem to directly tie into where we left the characters at the end of 2019’s final episode.
At the end of the TV series (spoilers ahead) DCI John Luther (Idris Elba) was arrested by his boss, Detective Superintendent Martin Schenk (Dermot Crowley), after being framed for the murder of a hitman by underworld kingpin George Cornelius, and having been linked to the recent deaths of DS Benny Silver, DS Catherine Halliday and Alice Morgan. It was perhaps the most Luther-ish end to the series that you could imagine, really embracing the over-the-top tone that made the series so much fun. But Luther: The Fallen Sun seems to contradict the end of the TV show – no mention is made of any of the above murders, and instead it seems to be implied that Luther was arrested and imprisoned because new villain David Robey (Andy Serkis) leaked evidence of Luther’s various (but unspecified) “illegal acts” to the press.
“…Idris Elba is as charismatic as ever…”
This is perhaps a relatively minor quibble – but when a film (if you can call this a film, rather than a feature-length extended episode) is aimed primarily at fans of the TV show, it seems odd not to make sure that the plot threads from the show tie into the new film properly. That said, Idris Elba is as charismatic as ever and keeps everything entertaining despite the issues with the plot, while it’s also nice to see Dermot Crowley back as the only other character to carry over from the TV series.
In terms of the new characters, Andy Serkis plays the main antagonist, and despite what you may read elsewhere, that is his real hair and not a wig. But Andy Serkis’ character, David Robey, feels more like a concept than a person – yes, he’s a sadistic serial killer and blackmailer who seems to revel in tormenting his victims’ relatives after the event, but it’s never really explained what his underlying psychological motivation is. And the way his storyline develops in the second half of the film is very interesting from a plot perspective, but seems at odds with the portrayal of the character in the first half of the film. After having done such great work recently in Star Wars: Andor, it’s a shame that Andy Serkis wasn’t given more to work with here.
“…has some impressively staged set-pieces…”
The other new main character is DCI Odette Raine, played by the always reliable Cynthia Erivo, but again, we never really get passed the surface layer of her character. DCI Raine is clearly intelligent and good at her job, but even by the end of the film, we haven’t learned much more about her than that, other than she also has a daughter. Considering how good Cynthia Erivo can be (just look at her breakthrough role in Bad Times at the El Royale, not to mention her Oscar nomination for Best Actress in 2020), she doesn’t get much opportunity to stretch her acting muscles here.
On the positive side, this spin-off does have some impressively staged set-pieces, that range from the kind of creepy intimate scenes that the TV show was known for, to much bigger sequences, like a bone-chilling confrontation at London’s Piccadilly Circus. The movie also goes beyond London with some location shooting in frozen Iceland, which does give the film a slightly more cinematic film (but without losing the tone that makes Luther’s heightened version of London so recognisable).
Ultimately, The Fallen Sun is not nearly as good as the better storylines from the TV show, nor are the new characters as memorable as those in the series – but if you’re a fan of Idris Elba’s weary detective, there is a certain amount of enjoyment to be derived from the simple pleasure of seeing him don the iconic coat once again and stride through the backstreets of London with his hands firmly in his pockets.
