Luther: The Fallen Sun

By: Adam Freed

Thirteen years ago the BBC introduced Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) John Luther to the world and crime drama enthusiasts were instantly injected with a new drug. It didn’t take an ardent anglophile to fall in love with Idris Elba playing Luther, a genius level detective seemingly hellbent on self destruction. In the wake of numerous American television series featuring menacing anti-heroes, the BBC had found their more talented and successful version. Five seasons and nine years hence, the saga of John Luther had seemingly played out in glorious fashion to the delight of audiences on numerous continents.

In 2023 however there is no such thing as a series finale, so long as Netflix and its streaming mega power competitors wield the almighty checkbook of artistic creation. Welcome back DCI John Luther! Original series creator Neil Cross is back on board, as is titular star Idris Elba in feature length film sequel Luther: The Fallen Sun. There is a pleasant history of BBC dramas making their way to feature length with a modicum of success, i.e. two financially and critically successful Downton Abbey films in the wake of the immensely popular series. Fallen Sun will certainly fit into this category.

For fans of the original series, Elba, crime drama, maniacal serial killers, or even of a lovely rain soaked London, Luther: The Fallen Sun is sure to be a streaming success. Idris Elba can do no wrong once again as DCI Luther. Audiences are sure to forgive his character’s shortcomings, and the shortcomings of a story that takes a few hearty leaps in logic at times because this film is so much fun. It is certainly not award worthy or to be mentioned alongside genre masters like Se7en or The Silence of the Lambs, but it works beyond common Netflix genre fare. The glorious cat & mouse game Luther plays with Andy Serkis’ David Robey, an outwardly sturdy business professional with a devilish dark side, lifts this film beyond other “by the numbers” crime dramas. This iteration of Luther may not reach previous heights achieved with the BBC, but it certainly makes Netflix appear to know exactly what it is doing.