by Aaron Schweitzer, Editor
Perhaps my biggest mistake in watching Luther: The Fallen Sun is that I am such an avid fan of the original BBC series, Luther. I came across the series while it was on Netflix and there were only three seasons out. I saw Idris Elba and only an 18 episode commitment, so I thought, “worth a shot.” I instantly loved the show, and as I got older, I grew to love it for different reasons. Initially, I thought it was great because it’s a detective show that isn’t about whodunnit, but about how the good guys are going to stop them from doing it again. Later I realized the true reason the show is brilliant is because Luther is a bad cop, but a good guy. We find out pretty early that he is willing to break the law in order to get his way, so it is only a matter of time before that catches up with him. Throw in the very violent crimes Luther faces and the addition of Alice (Ruth Wilson), who is pure evil, and that creates a really interesting temptation for Luther to give into his dark side.
Season Four was announced and I got giddy, but was left disappointed because Season Three was a perfect ending, and Season Four wasn’t as good as the show leading up to it. Season Five was announced, I got excited for them to redeem the show, and somehow it was more mediocre. Now, it’s 2023 and Elba is a certified stud. Netflix is making good films finally. The film style should allow this movie to be focused. Surely this will be a hit, right?… Right?…
Within the first few minutes, Luther: The Fallen Sun made one of the most baffling decisions of the whole film. Minor spoilers for the series, but Season Five ends with Luther being arrested for crimes that he didn’t necessarily commit, but was definitely guilty in part of. I think as a way to catch up with being less complicated, that ending is retconned. But immediately, we see a newscaster telling of Luther’s most recent case arrest, but not his arrest. We see him show up to a crime scene, and because Andy Serkis is intimidated, for unknown reasons, he decides to get Luther thrown in jail so he can carry out his big plan. So within the first five minutes, the film retcons the Season Five finale, and does all the work necessary to get us to the exact same place. I get that it makes it easier for someone who hasn’t seen the series to get on board, but it feels so jarring and so disrespectful to the series that I love.
Now that we get into the actual film, there is a lot to enjoy. For starters, Elba is great (I know, shocking news). He feels like he is in a return to form, but slightly less tormented, which is fine because they never reference the rest of the series, so this might as well be a full retcon, which would be a shame. Serkis is also great. He plays the villain David Robey, and he brings a real creepy energy. He’s not super physically imposing, but you can tell he is motivated to see his end game play out and nothing will stop him.
So Robey pushes Luther’s buttons, and Luther breaks out of jail to stop Robey because no one else is equipped to bring him down, apparently. Whatever, I care less about this setup the more I write about it. I do, however, think Robey’s plan is interesting and horrifying. He plays a lot of psychological twists, manipulates his victims and their families, and wants to expose all that for money. It is very reminiscent of the Season Three episode of Black Mirror,“Shut Up and Dance.” So it doesn’t feel the most original, but it is still compelling.
The stuff from the introduction to the finale is pretty interesting, but also incredibly predictable. There’s a great scene that takes placed in Piccadilly Circus that really stands out, but it just makes me wish the rest of the film was as riveting. Instead we get another hour of predictability until the film finally reaches its conclusion.
The film leads up to a very 007-style climax in the most ridiculous of ways, even down to the hidden villain lair in the middle of nowhere, which is still somehow super tech-ed out. In the epilogue, there are even a lot of people suggesting that the sequel might be a tease for a 007 connection. As much as I would love to see that, it just doesn’t make sense for the franchise. I personally would love to see Elba become the next M, and it feels like we’re about to get that kind of story progression, but attached to this mediocre film, as opposed to films as great as the Daniel Craig 007 films.
If you haven’t seen the series, I think you would like the film a lot more than I did. But as a fan of the series, this is the least interesting a Luther story has ever been. While Serkis gives a great performance, the character and plan feel so much less memorable and more ridiculous than some of my favorite villains (the Folklore and DnD killers in Season Two, and the vigilante in Season Three). While I am excited for the opportunity of where another film might go, it is just hard to say that this one was good. I’ll be back to watch whatever adventures Neil Cross and Elba come up with because I know what they’re capable of delivering, but I wouldn’t put it past you to write off this character and not return.
Ultimately, if I could steer you in any direction, it would be to watch the show and stop at the Season Three finale. If the next Luther project is any good, then maybe pick it back up, but the more stories they have told with this character, the less I have liked the quality. And that saddens me, because I think those three seasons are the best that detective shows have to offer. Catch them on Hulu.
Score 6/10
Luther: The Fallen Sun is currently streaming on Netflix
You can read more from Aaron Schweitzer, and follow him on Twitter and Letterboxd