Around halfway through Luther The Fallen Sun, Idris Elba is given a martini but politely declines, opting instead for a drink of water, in a meta sequence. That should silence the critics who question whether or not Elba wants to be the next James Bond. And that’s for the best, because as much as I enjoy the Bond films and as much as I adore Daniel Craig’s performance in the previous five installments, playing the character must be exhausting. And more roles like the ones Elba can play are desperately needed. Such as Luther.
Review of Luther The Fallen Sun
I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve fallen in and out of love with the original TV series. Even when the show descended into absolute shock, it was the actor himself (and occasionally Ruth Wilson as Luther’s overarching nemesis Alice Morgan) whose charm and undeniable intensity kept me watching. The majority of Luther The Fallen Sun is not garbage, I’m relieved to report.
Written by series creator Neil Cross and directed by series regular Jamie Payne, the film depicts Luther’s misdeeds and excesses on duty (and propensity to play fast and loose with the law) finally catching up with him and landing him in jail. David Robey, played by Andy Serkis, is a tech tycoon who moonlights as a serial killer and is ultimately responsible for his collapse (I can just hear Elon Musk gnashing his teeth – the guy has already declared that he despises how Hollywood portrays billionaires).
As he sees Luther looking into one of his murders, he makes up his mind to eliminate Luther from the equation. The movie is about Luther, after all. This dude is incredible. The obvious conclusion is that he escapes and sets out to locate Serkis.
Robey, in particular, is a vile human being. It’s possible that even other serial killers would be appalled by his methods. Even though he spent the majority of his life feeling helpless, his tech-savvy eventually made him wealthy. And now he feels compelled to exert dominion over those he kills. He has set up a system in which his supporters are forced to watch innocent people be tortured and murdered. He certainly fits the bill of a cad (as the British would say). And Luther wants to make things right with the mother of one of Robey’s many victims after being troubled by a promise he made to her.
Luther The Fallen Sun is an extended season of the program. It is debatable whether or not this is a positive development. Honestly, I almost felt better after seeing Elba don that tweed coat and red tie like a heroic suit and brood on a rooftop with skyscrapers in the background like Batman.
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There is a lot of violence, a lot of action, and Luther’s trademark outbursts (for better or worse, he is still the same man, if somewhat calmer). More gory spectacle, as befits a film with a larger budget than a regular TV production, is on display. Robey, the sicko that he is, enjoys recording the dying screams of his victims in Piccadilly Circus so that he can take some sick pleasure in listening to them after they have fallen to their deaths.
The story is a little too typical, lacking in shocks and exciting moments, and there are contradictions and plot contrivances throughout. Elba delivers another mesmerizing performance, and the film Luther The Fallen Sun is still well-made.
In sum, I found Luther The Fallen Sun to be an excellent contribution to the Luther canon and further proof of the legendary status of Idris Elba’s Luther. Despite its lack of originality, this installment is all that series regulars and newcomers alike have come to expect from the franchise: an exciting, brutal, and emotionally powerful crime thriller. This film stands on its own, and it is not necessary to have seen the series to appreciate it. Moreover, please keep casting Idris Elba in action movies.
Trailer of Luther The Fallen Sun (Video) Watch Now