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Idris Elba doesn’t need James Bond. He has John Luther.

Having officially ruled out playing 007 in a recent interview, the suave British actor instead slips back into a role he’s inhabited on television for nearly a decade with “Luther: The Fallen Sun,” a feature-length continuation of the BBC crime drama (in theaters this week, then streaming on Netflix March 10), redirecting the online furor of his fan-casting to a similarly preposterous role that’s already, iconically, his own.

In Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, a renegade copper investigating London’s grisliest homicides, Elba has established an enduring hero, whose characteristic shades of gray—from his long wool overcoat to his moral compass—feel at once classical and tailored to fit. Squinting and shambling through horrific crime scenes with his hands in his pockets, Luther was styled after both Columbo and Sherlock Holmes, but it’s Elba’s mercurial screen presence, all rumpled gravitas and movie-star smolder, that fills out the character with something special.

Brilliant and troubled, rough and ready, on the edge of darkness, Luther is a larger-than-life protagonist, the type of intensely brooding detective who’s willing to skirt any rule if it catches him a killer, whose uncompromising sense of justice puts him at odds with colleagues. (None of them can claim to keep as cool a head whilst dangling a suspected witness over a balcony to extract key information.) Elba embodies Luther’s psychological torment—he breaks the law in order to uphold it—in soulful fashion; he’s the kind of endlessly compelling screen presence who can burrow into an archetype and illuminate inner currents of passion, rage, and pain without making the obvious choice, without even seeming to lower the character’s ever-present guard. All five series of “ Luther ” to date represent the actor at his best, and one of the chief pleasures of “The Fallen Sun” is the comfort and staggering charisma with which he shrugs that signature coat over his impossibly broad shoulders and heads back to work.

Last seen cuffed by his former police superintendent, Martin Schenk ( Dermot Crowley ), after crossing one extralegal line too many in the show’s fifth series finale, Luther finds himself in prison at the start of “The Fallen Sun,” though the circumstances of his incarceration have been altered. In the film’s telling, the good detective’s investigation into the disappearance of a young janitor has led his latest adversary—a teeth-gnashing ghoul of a tech billionaire played by Andy Serkis —to leak a dossier to the media that incriminates Luther in a litany of rule-bending offenses, from breaking and entering to suspect intimidation, tampering with evidence, and bribery. (Luther’s guilty on all charges, naturally, but he has a perfectly reasonable explanation, if only the courts would hear him out.)

Though stuck behind bars, Luther is still top of mind for Serkis’ aforementioned ghoul, David Robey, who terrorizes London through a series of elaborate killings—such as that of eight strangers, abducted, hanged, and arranged in a manor that erupts into flame as the victims’ parents arrive—but still makes time to taunt Luther over his failure to prevent the carnage. In response, Luther breaks out during a prison transport, after a kerosene-soaked cellblock-riot sequence makes his transfer to another facility inevitable. The sight of Luther shielding himself with a flaming mattress as he brawls down a corridor of bloodthirsty inmates marks “The Fallen Sun” early on as an escalation of the series’ penchant for pulp theatrics.

Back on the rain-slicked streets of London, Luther hunts for clues as to Robey’s next atrocity exhibition, even as he’s hunted by his former colleagues on the police force, including replacement DCI Odette Raine ( Cynthia Erivo ) and Schenk, consulting for the department as the authority on all things Luther. This setup is nothing new for “Luther,” which had Elba’s hero on the lam from police by the end of its first series. But there’s a sense of weariness to this latest runabout that feels cumulative—though “The Fallen Sun” is consciously framed as a cinematic reintroduction for the character, understanding the detective’s sordid history with seductive psychopath and potential soulmate Alice Morgan ( Ruth Wilson ), as well as the assorted supporting players who’ve paid the price for allying themselves with Luther, will be of value to viewers curious as to the air of haunted melancholy that hangs heavy around the character. He’s made decisions before, terrible ones, and he lives alone with their consequences.

Luther’s right at home in the film’s gloomy, gothic version of London, in which every darkened alleyway and unguarded suburban milieu is stalked by members of a rogues’ gallery twisted enough to make Batman blink. There are evil occultists who kidnap young mothers to drain their blood, masked fetishists who wait under victims’ beds only to silently snake out into view once the lights are out, even clown-masked killers who attack women making their way home alone at night. The adversaries Luther faces are super-criminals, agents of terror, turning his city into a Gotham-esque urban sprawl of fear and depravity even as they justify his own vigilantism.

Best known for motion-captured performances that surface the humanity of sophisticated animals, Serkis is no less compelling as a sadistic wolf in sheep’s clothing, an omniscient one-percenter whose reach will never exceed his grasp. Heading a blackmailing operation that has insulated him with an army of henchmen, all victims scared their own darkest secrets will get out, Robey is a ludicrous megalomaniac even before it’s revealed he maintains a Norwegian lair befitting a Bond villain—one none-too-subtle touch that, in keeping with the film’s impressive budget, elevates Luther out of his already-heightened pulp surroundings and into a more winkingly silly action sandbox. As a series, “Luther” often dealt in extremes, pitting Elba’s relentless vigilante against all manner of depraved psychopaths as if to test his outer limits; faced with a cartoonishly cruel archvillain like this, Luther’s eventual admission to a reproachful former colleague that he broke the law because he “couldn’t see any other way to do what had to be done” registers more as a hero’s mantra than a confession of past crimes.

Returning director Jamie Payne (who helmed Series 5) extends the stark and amplified atmosphere of his past “Luther” installments even as the action set pieces—one turning Piccadilly Square into a warzone; another leaving London to explore a frozen house of horrors—scale up, with veteran cinematographer Larry Smith bathing the film’s eeriest tableaux of domestic terror in a cold, suffusing twilight. As in previous installments of the series, Luther’s red tie—a signature accessory—is sometimes the brightest splash of color on the screen. Neil Cross , the series creator and sole writer, scripts “Luther” with a sensibility so menacing and lurid that it approaches the gritty camp of recent DC superhero films, a sensation that Lorne Balfe ’s taut, pulsing score only enhances.

For all its glowering atmosphere and hard-boiled dialogue, though, most central to the film’s pleasures are the unerring instincts of its actors, some returning to roles they’ve been playing for a decade. When Elba shares the screen with Dermot Crowley, as former superintendent Martin Schenk, both actors bat self-serious cornball dialogue around with the steady rhythm and good humor of seasoned scene partners. They’re professionals at work, with a nasty job ahead of them. Erivo, too, fits comfortably into the equation as a detective initially tasked with tracking down Luther, supplying the matter-of-fact gravitas needed to go toe-to-toe with the hero, even if the requisite third-act twist that partners them up is a little too far-fetched, even by the film’s graphic-novel logic.

That “The Fallen Sun” ultimately feels more episodic than climactic is by design; Elba has made no secret of his desire to play Luther on the big screen in a series of films, of which this is only the first. Soon available on Netflix alongside the rest of the TV series, “The Fallen Sun” is a natural continuation for fans but also presents a way in for series newcomers, even sending the character off in a new direction that playfully acknowledges Elba’s Bond bona fides while asserting, not unconvincingly, that Luther’s world is quite enough.

“Luther: The Fallen Sun” is in select theaters this Friday and streaming on Netflix March 10

Isaac Feldberg

Isaac Feldberg is an entertainment journalist currently based in Chicago, who’s been writing professionally for nine years and hopes to stay at it for a few more.

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Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

Rated R for disturbing/violent content, language and some sexual material.

129 minutes

Idris Elba as John Luther

Dermot Crowley as DSU Martin Schenk

Cynthia Erivo as Odette Raine

Andy Serkis as David Robey

Dermot Crowley as Martin Schenk

Thomas Coombes as Archie Woodward

Hattie Morahan as Corinne Aldrich

Jamie Payne

Writer (based on the BBC Television series created by)

Cinematographer.

Larry Smith
Justine Wright
Lorne Balfe

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‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ Review: Psycho Filler

A smoldering Idris Elba is no match for the preposterousness of this feature-length Netflix continuation of the popular BBC crime thriller.

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A man in a black hoodie sits amid a group of armed masked men.

By Jeannette Catsoulis

Movies have never quite figured out what to do with Idris Elba. Imposing, charismatic and dauntingly intelligent, Elba has so far been most memorable on television — his intense, thoughtful style feeding on the intimacy and character-building patience of episodic storytelling.

Over five seasons on the BBC show “Luther” (2010-19), he played the titular London copper as a troubled, morally conflicted genius with an aversion to rules and an ongoing infatuation with a slinky psychopath (brilliantly played by Ruth Wilson). All wounded eyes and wool overcoat, Luther lumbered wearily from one grisly crime scene to another, losing loved ones and nabbing a series of increasingly implausible adversaries. Throughout, the character was a magnetic constant; the show’s problem was always finding villains worthy of him.

And that’s exactly where “Luther: The Fallen Sun” (directed by Jamie Payne and written by the show’s creator and sole writer, Neil Cross) trips, falls and never recovers. The inexplicable choice of a smirking Andy Serkis as the murderous David Robey, a cyber-sicko with limitless resources and incalculable mental issues, elicits more chuckles than chills. Decked out at one point in a velvet blazer and turtleneck, hair teased into the likeness of a dead stoat, Robey is less demented sadist than disco king. The scene where the diminutive devil — hopping and hooded like the killer in “Don’t Look Now” (1973 ) — fights the towering Luther on a subway platform is nothing less than ludicrous.

Body-mass differential aside, Luther and Robey are further hindered by a plot so dashed-off and indistinct that very little makes sense. Picking up generally where season five ended, with Luther heading to prison for his persistent vigilantism, this feature-length revival ( streaming on Netflix ) locks him up and gets him out with mystifying, head-spinning ease. Robey, seemingly assisted by a shadowy pod of followers, is busily hacking webcams and smart devices, recording shameful secrets and blackmailing their owners. For those who prefer to die rather than be exposed, Robey stages elaborate kill scenes, live-action tableaus that unfold with a pulpy majesty. In a movie that starts at fever pitch and rarely relents, these grisly interludes, captured by Larry Smith’s glowering camera, offer strangely haunting respites from the plot’s general chaos.

Lacking dialogue to deepen the characters or reinforce their motivations, “Luther: The Fallen Sun” whooshes past in a rush of serial-killer clichés: an underground lair, a torture room, a masked maniac. Anonymous losers sit glued to computer screens, but the movie is so headlong and fragmented it’s unclear exactly what they’re watching or how Robey’s sleazy schemes are realized. It’s as if Netflix has tried to shoehorn an entire season of television into a little over two hours.

The result might be more richly cinematic, but it’s infinitely cruder, with characters so underwritten that their possible demise excites no more than a shrug. Brief sightings of the wonderful Dermot Crowley, who returns as Luther’s melancholic superintendent, have a steadying effect, as does Cynthia Erivo as Luther’s fed-up superior. But it’s Elba himself, huddled miserably inside that overcoat in a rain-soaked Piccadilly Circus, that elicits a nostalgic thrill. Call me a pushover for tormented heroes and soulful tailoring.

Luther: The Fallen Sun Rated R for flaming bodies, forced suicides and frightful hair. Running time: 2 hours 9 minutes. Watch on Netflix.

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Luther: The Fallen Sun Reviews

Idris Elba once again proves that he doesn’t need to be James Bond when he’s John Luther, but the film seems more like yet another episode of the series that is scaled up for the big screen.

Full Review | Nov 16, 2023

Despite this film’s faults, there is enough to admire here to make longtime fans and newcomers wonder where Luther will turn up next.

Full Review | Aug 23, 2023

Fans of the show may find something more relatable to what makes this character unique apart from newcomers who may see little more than just another game-playing serial killer out for revenge.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jul 5, 2023

Luther really is the British Batman: he's obsessed with bringing the bad guys to justice, he doesn't mind using illegal methods/violence to solve cases, and he refuses to kill suspects. That last part is applicable to classic Batman, not Snyder Batman.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 2, 2023

Never feels like more than a two-part episode, and a derivative one at that.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | May 20, 2023

The film is accessible to those who haven't seen the series and Elba's formidable charisma makes it even more watchable. Andy Serkis makes for a sinister villain and Cynthia Erivo is terrific as Luther’s new ally.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | May 1, 2023

This venture into the John Luther universe will be enjoyed by both newcomers and longtime fans of the show.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Apr 21, 2023

Nobody knows how to excitingly and gracefully wrap a story up. It’s the curse of screenwriting in this streaming era.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Mar 30, 2023

Idris Elba shines in the title character and continues to ooze charisma and charm with a hard and jaded edge. Andy Serkis is phenomenal as a villain and one who becomes a very formidable opponent for Luther… both physically and mentally.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Mar 24, 2023

Elba brings precisely the sort of screen energy that made him appear too big for TV to begin with by continuing to play up Luther’s ability to use his wits to great effect, let alone handle himself in action.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Mar 22, 2023

Idris Elba and Andy Serkis are at the top of their game.

Full Review | Mar 21, 2023

The movie doesn't evolve at any given moment and results in a commercial product decorated by the phrase: inspired by the TV series. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Mar 20, 2023

I can watch and re-watch the first three series of Luther endlessly, but Fallen Sun is a fine reminder of why I stopped.

Full Review | Mar 20, 2023

A feature-length Luther chapter that is larger in scale than a regular episode but with the same darkness coursing through its veins.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 19, 2023

Luther: Fallen Sun is very gritty and definitely a Bad Things Happen in The Big City kind of movie. Lots of screaming, torture, shooting, and fighting, so if you don’t have the stomach for it, maybe hang back and catch a Murder She Wrote rerun.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 18, 2023

An arc fit for a Luther series has been compressed into a movie, but the story and characters have kept their flavour. Most importantly, Luther once more offers his pain for the salvation of others.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 15, 2023

With room for growth as a series, Luther: The Fallen Sun is a rewarding, exciting and brutal first foray for John Luther on a big canvas.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 13, 2023

A thriller that hooks you in its first hour, thanks to the cat-and-mouse chase between Elba and Serkis. Unfortunately, the film runs out of gas and ends up being a passable suspenseful pastime albeit inconsequential... [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 13, 2023

In some ridiculous moments, Luther falls more into simplicity than into the night. But hey, most procedurals sin for being extravagant or absurd, and nobody goes around denouncing them. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 13, 2023

Luther: The Fallen Sun is an effective, atmospheric thriller that gives us a movie follow-up to what was already an engaging, atmospheric BBC serial.

Full Review | Mar 13, 2023

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‘luther: the fallen sun’ review: idris elba’s troubled detective gets a satisfactory screen treatment.

Cynthia Erivo and Andy Serkis co-star in Netflix's feature-film installment of the hit BBC series.

By Frank Scheck

Frank Scheck

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Luther: The Fallen Sun review – grisly violence takes starring role

Feature incarnation of the Idris Elba cop drama sees a ropey but savage snuff-porn plot get too much explicit attention

N eil Cross’s smash-hit BBC TV crime drama now gets its own standalone feature film, with Idris Elba returning as the troubled London police officer John Luther , effectively continuing the story from the end of the fifth season. This may well play very effectively to the show’s fanbase and there’s certainly an alpha supporting cast including Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis and Hattie Morahan.

But I have to say – and those squeamish about spoilers and cliches had better look away now – that without the extended context of longform TV, the greater emphasis on explicit, violent horror is a bit exhausting. The serial-killer accessories feel hand-me-down; the Scandi noir touch is spurious and storylines in the movies about evil criminal plans to livestream snuff-porn are frankly always lame and implausible. At the dawn of the internet age, the snuff-internet-porn-themed film actually became its own yucky and naive subgenre, with movies such as Marc Evans’s My Little Eye and Olivier Assayas’s Demonlover, and it doesn’t deserve a comeback now.

At all events, Elba brings his mighty physical presence to Luther , the London copper with some baggage concerning the corners he’s cut and his all-round maverickness (although of course there’s never a moment when we genuinely think he’s anything other than a good guy). When a young kid is kidnapped, Luther makes a promise to distraught mum Corinne (Morahan) to get him back – so the villain, with his evil hair in his evil lair, mobilises his network of highly placed individuals on whom he has blackmail information to get Luther arrested and banged up for his nobly intended misdeeds.

Luther then gets himself sprung from the nick (via a jailhouse rock punch-up) and sets out to track the bad guy down, clashing as he does so with his former superior officer, DSU Martin Schenk (Dermot Rowley) and Schenk’s successor, DSU Odette Raine (Erivo). The insidiously gurning bad guy is played by Serkis, who certainly gives it some welly. It’s all socked over with great and gruesome conviction, but there isn’t the same character-related interest as the TV series could generate.

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Andy Serkis

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Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

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Luther: The Fallen Sun Review – a wicked crime thriller

Directed by Jamie Payne, we review the Netflix film Luther: The Fallen Sun, which does not contain spoilers.

The film adaptation of the BBC Series Luther can be, at times, a riveting and genuinely frightening crime thriller. Other times, the movie can be overrun by illuminating transgressive topics many are ashamed of. However, as a pure spectacle, even if this crime film leans towards the horror genre by delving into dark salacious aspects of control, Luther: The Fallen Sun is a tense, intriguing thriller elevated by the always charismatic Idris Elba .

Luther: The Fallen Sun Review and Plot Summary

The most renowned detective since Sherlock Holmes now finds himself in prison and a victim of today’s cancel culture. Someone dug into the detective’s “unconventional” methods and posted them online. That’s unfortunate because he promised Corinne, a mother whose son went missing, of he would catch the killer and then bring them to justice. Luther (Elba) is now not only haunted by the unsolved murder of a sadistic cybercriminal, but the killer also taunts him while in prison.

Who is this killer? That would be David Robey ( Andy Serkis ) . He is highly skilled with a knife. Cunning in multiple ways. He even has a sense of style, or you may call it some sadistic panache. He will play tearful screams of loved ones begging for their lives for family and Luther as he rots in a prison cell. Even years later. And there is nothing like a failure that eats at our disgraced detective more. That means he leaves prison to help the new inspector Odette Raine ( Cynthia Erivo ) and his old chum Martin ( Dermot Crowley ) solve the case.

Director Jamie Payne and Luther creator Neil Cross are back for the film continuation of the series. The movie resembles an ominous James Patterson story brought to life, like Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider . The reason for that is Cross’s reputation as a crime mystery novelist that led to the highly successful Luther brand. If you’re a fan of those films, or the genre in general, Luther: The Fallen Sun is far superior to those adaptations. For this simple reason, this horror is no longer diluted. If anything, the tone is ramped up for maximum effect.

This film, and the potential franchise of Luther movies, are much different because Cross and Payne embrace the darkness of why people do bad things and shamefully hide behind facades. This allows the script to be relatable yet frighteningly current. That’s a credit to the filmmakers being able to be adaptable. Not to mention, Serkis is so sadistic and evil in this film, it can be more frightening than scenes you’ll find in Cocaine Bear this film season.

Luther: The Fallen Sun has a couple of very effective set pieces. One is when Luther escapes prison, which is suspenseful and action-packed. (And that’s despite being unrealistic). Another is the riveting sequence where Rodney sets up a macabre scene set up in Piccadilly Square and leads to an invigorating chase. These are highlighted by Payne, who has a jaw-dropping eye for visuals, one that includes an icy lake with a heart-stopping revelation about where Rodney hides his victims. It helps that this Luther incarnation has a gorgeous musical score from Lorne Balfe that give scenes some mighty heft.

This is an excellent cast, including the wonderful Erivo, who gets to play a thankless skeptical character who gets some unexpected meat at the end of the film to chew on. Serkin is genuinely frightening in the role. (Nothing is scarier than a killer who enjoys his work a little too much). Elba is at his reliable best, knowing the ins and outs of the role and with a story that gives him a bit more to play with. Very few movie stars with inherent gifts can carry a film as dark as this.

Where the movie falters is the third act. The film is too long, at a little over two hours. The script could have been tighter. Not to mention, by the time you get to the final scenes, the movie is overwrought with its wicked and menacing themes and tones. The chase scene to end the movie feels like an attempt for Payne to add another stunning visual. I’m guessing the director hopes that you’ll ignore the sheer amount of time that passes. That goes past common sense unless you are Tom Cruise or a Navy Seal.

Is the 2023 movie Luther: The Fallen Sun good?

Luther: The Fallen Sun’s flaws undercut the film’s first ninety minutes. However, the movie is a scary and wicked story with horror undertones that will remind you of David Fincher’s Seven , wrapped in a mystery crime novel come to life. A fine first effort for what I am sure is a film franchise continuation of a beloved character.

What did you think of the 2023 Netflix film Luther: The Fallen Sun Comment below.

Article by Marc Miller

Marc Miller (also known as M.N. Miller) joined Ready Steady Cut in April 2018 as a Film and TV Critic, publishing over 1,600 articles on the website. Since a young age, Marc dreamed of becoming a legitimate critic and having that famous “Rotten Tomato” approved status – in 2023, he achieved that status.

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Luther: The Fallen Sun review: Idris Elba is the best reason to accept this assignment

Cynthia erivo and andy serkis co-star in this netflix film that plays like a padded, extremely violent episode of the bbc series.

DCI John Luther (Idris Elba) is back and once again he’s pursuing a criminal mastermind while going rogue. Fans of the BBC series, which ran for four seasons between 2010 and 2019, are in for more of what they like in Netflix’s film continuation, Luther: The Fallen Sun . The film has small ambitions: basically to play like an extended special episode of the show. It delivers on that promise but doesn’t do much more.

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Luther: The Fallen Sun review – Netflix film makes a good case for Idris Elba as the next Batman

The feature-length sequel to the bbc crime drama sees andy serkis terrorise a rainy, neo-noir london, article bookmarked.

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Luther , the BBC crime drama starring Idris Elba as a rule-adverse detective, was swiftly overtaken by cinematic ambition. What began as a relatively humble cop series set in a crime-ridden London became increasingly more absurd as it went on. By its fifth series, Luther was dealing with a killer in a clown mask shooting people full of nails. Luther: The Fallen Sun , a feature-length revival by Netflix , feels like an all-too-logical extension. The budget’s been upped considerably. Hollywood’s own Andy Serkis and Cynthia Erivo have been air-lifted in for support. And it’s fun, in the patently ridiculous way these sorts of zhuzhed-up thrillers tend to be.

The Fallen Sun isn’t much of a Bond audition for Elba – who’s had to shoot down rumours he’s the next 007 yet again this week – but it’s a solid argument for making him the next Batman. Here’s a neo-noir London soaked in perpetual rain, with a Soho far sleazier than in real life. There’s no sign of all the media professionals popping out for a quick Joe & The Juice. For director Jamie Payne, who was behind several episodes of the series, this is cinematic with a capital “c”. It’s the sort of stuff no one would have dreamed of for Luther back when it first aired in 2010.

While the original show’s central antagonist, Ruth Wilson’s murderous Alice Morgan, was arguably Luther’s Joker, here we get the distinctly Riddler-esque David Robey (Serkis). He’s a malevolent tech genius with a Siegfried and Roy mop of blonde hair, who murders in a way that would probably make the killer from Se7en proud. He surveys his crime scenes by peering in through windows wearing a smiling digital mask. Oh, and he likes to innocuously sing along to the Supremes in his car, because that’s the sort of thing that villains do.

Robey’s motivations revolve vaguely around the concept of shame. He uses an army of hackers to spy on people through their webcams and Alexas, then digs up their dirtiest secrets before blackmailing them into compliance. He’s mad about a perceived hypocrisy that allows cruelty and violence to dominate some spaces, but not others. You’d think Luther’s creator, Neil Cross – who also scripts the film – would circle this story back around to the question of Luther’s own brusque, vigilante approach to police work. Is there really energy left to be rooting for coppers who view themselves as judge, jury, and executioner? But to really answer that question might mean the end of Luther for good, so The Fallen Sun awkwardly dodges the implications of its own premise.

Still, it all feels so much like a comic book that we never really have to question Luther’s place in our world if we don’t want to. The chief draw here is – as ever – Elba. He’s always excelled at playing men who’ve lost everything and are irritated to discover they’re still expected to carry on as before. The real trick has been to make us like and root for even the most crotchety among them. Series five ended with Luther’s arrest for his various law-breaking tactics. The film, as expected, then, involves a dramatic prison breakout. Elba punches and kicks his way through waves of fellow prisoners with the weariness of someone swatting away flies. Dermot Crowley’s returning DSU Martin Schenk and Erivo’s counterintelligence operative Odette Raine provide the necessary counterbalance as sensible sorts with a begrudging respect for Luther’s determination.

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There’s no real revelation at the heart of The Fallen Sun – either for its lead character or for everyone watching. This is exactly what you’d expect from Luther on the big screen, right down to the climactic trip to a mountain locale in which our hero trudges through arctic conditions in nothing but a shirt, tie, and herringbone wool overcoat. I wouldn’t expect any less of him.

Dir: Jamie Payne. Starring: Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis, Dermot Crowley, Jess Liaudin. 15, 123 minutes.

‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ is in select cinemas from 24 February, and will stream on Netflix from 10 March

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Luther: the fallen sun, common sense media reviewers.

Spin-off to British cop show is full of threat and violence.

Luther - The Fallen Sun: Idris Elba as John Luther stands in a street looking serious straight at the camera

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Bringing people to justice and solving crimes are

John Luther is a brilliant police officer and solv

The central character is a Black British male who

Violent scenes throughout, including torture, kidn

Very brief scenes show people watching pornography

Language used includes multiple variants of "f--k"

A number of brands are clearly identifiable includ

Character pours themselves a drink of what looks l

Positive Messages

Bringing people to justice and solving crimes are the central motivations for those intent on doing good. But how these come about are often through questionable and even illegal methods. Characters learn to work together. The villains are motivated by depraved, sadistic, and even sexual desires.

Positive Role Models

John Luther is a brilliant police officer and solver of crimes, but is not beyond breaking the law to get results. David Robey is a sadistic serial killer who tortures, blackmails, manipulates, and kills people. Odette Raine heads up the police team and shows courage and integrity, even when she's placed in an impossible situation. She is initially mistrusting of Luther but learns to appreciate his skills as a police officer and agrees to team up with him.

Diverse Representations

The central character is a Black British male who worked his way up the ranks of the police force with a mix of skill and dedication, but also a willingness to bend/break the rules when necessary. A Black woman heads up the police unit and she is shown to be courageous and comfortable within the predominantly male environment. She appears to be a loving single parent to a teenage girl who she has a close bond with. In a brief scene, one female police officer is shown to be a wheelchair user. No reference is made to this, and she is shown to be integral in cracking the case. Another supporting character is shown with severe burns on her face and body. She is initially portrayed as a victim, at the mercy of her evil husband, but finds courage to help the police. An Estonian character is played by an Estonian actor -- Estonian language spoken.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Violent scenes throughout, including torture, kidnap, and murder. Characters are hit with weapons, stabbed, slashed, and set on fire, all causing bloody injuries and death. Bodies are seen hung from the ceiling and trapped under ice. A character kidnaps people with the intention of forcing them to torture each other while others watch online. Fights -- including a prison riot -- involve punches, kicks, and headbutts. People are forced to jump off buildings. Vehicle collisions. Threat of sexual violence and references to sexual assault, arson, and torture techniques. A teen is kidnapped and has a plastic bag held over their head. Another character is knocked to the floor before having a cord wrapped around their neck. A character recounts how they were "catfished" resulting in someone being sexually assaulted. Severe distress caused by blackmail. Characters become trapped under ice. A character injects themselves with poison.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Very brief scenes show people watching pornography. Nothing graphic is shown, although a woman is heard groaning, and the suggestion is that those watching are -- or are about to start -- masturbating. A scene takes place in a sex shop. Character is seen showering naked from the waist up.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language used includes multiple variants of "f--k" and "s--t." Also "pr--k," "pissed," and the British swear word "twat." "God," "Jesus," and "Jesus holy f---ing Christ" are also used as exclamations.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

A number of brands are clearly identifiable including Apple iPhones, Canon cameras, and Amazon Echoes. Also reference to Uber.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Character pours themselves a drink of what looks like whiskey or brandy. Another character asks someone working in a bar what they would recommend to drink. They suggest a martini or whiskey but the customer opts for sparkling water. A character is seen in a pub with a half-drunk pint in their hand.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Luther: The Fallen Sun is a spin-off of the British TV cop drama -- starring Idris Elba -- with violent scenes and threat throughout. Elba returns as DCI John Luther who, after breaking out of prison, is on the hunt for sadistic serial killer, David Robey ( Andy Serkis ). There are scenes of torture, kidnap, and murder, as well as threats and recounts of sexual violence. Robey blackmails and manipulates his victims, mostly by acquiring damaging information from them online or hacking into their devices. His end goal is to stream his victims torturing each other to an online underground group. There are fights involving punches, headbutts, and weapons, and people are set on fire and jump to their deaths from high buildings. Expect strong language, including "pr--k," and variants of "f--k" and "s--t." Those familiar with the TV show will know that Luther is good at his job, but isn't against breaking the rules. However, prior knowledge of the show is not essential. Luther is helped by Odette Raine (Cynthia Erivo), a smart and courageous Black woman who heads up the police unit. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Luther - The Fallen Sun: Idris Elba as John Luther walks toward camera in a red-lit corridor

Community Reviews

Parents say (1)
Kids say (2)

Based on 1 parent review

Should be 18

What's the story.

In LUTHER: THE FALLEN SUN, Detective Chief Inspector John Luther's ( Idris Elba ) wrongdoings come back to haunt him when he is sent to prison. But with a sadistic serial killer on the loose -- and one who seemingly wants Luther's attention -- Luther breaks out, determined to bring the killer to justice.

Is It Any Good?

Four years after the popular TV show seemingly concluded with season five, DCI John Luther is back in a movie spin-off. Those familiar with the show will know what to expect from Luther: The Fallen Sun : gruesome murders leading to a dangerous cat and mouse chase led by Elba's titular character. But even those new to the show will be able to enjoy this action-packed, adrenaline-rushing crime drama. All newcomers need to know is that Luther is a good copper, who does bad things, but for the right reasons. This time the detective must first get himself out of prison, having found himself banged up for his past discrepancies. But that turns out to be the least of his problems with Andy Serkis ' deranged serial killer blackmailing, torturing, and killing victims he traps online. It's not for the fainthearted, and the central plot about a group of underground voyeurs watching people tortured and murdered online asks questions about the film itself. It's also far-fetched in places. But there's no denying there's a joy to see the maverick cop -- in his iconic grey trench coat and red tie -- back on our screens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Luther: The Fallen Sun . Did the violent scenes help tell the story in an effective way? Were there repercussions for those responsible for the violence? Why does that matter? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?

The movie is a spin-off of the TV show Luther . Had you seen the show before watching this movie? How did this compare? What did it add to the story?

Discuss the language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary, or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?

The internet and how we behave on it is a key plot point. What do you understand the term "digital footprint" to mean? Why must we be careful of what we do online?

Movie Details

In theaters : February 24, 2023
On DVD or streaming : March 10, 2023
Cast : Idris Elba , Cynthia Erivo , Andy Serkis
Director : Jamie Payne
Inclusion Information : Black actors, Female actors, Bisexual actors, Middle Eastern/North African actors
Studio : Netflix
Genre : Drama
Run time : 129 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : disturbing/violent content, language and some sexual material
Last updated : September 16, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Luther: The Fallen Sun Review

The follow-up to the great bbc series is a major misfire..

Luther: The Fallen Sun opens in theaters on February 24, 2023, and premieres on Netflix on March 10, 2023.

After five stellar seasons, BBC’s Luther series goes out with a whimper in a comically elaborate feature film that certainly has more polish than the show, but none of the gravitas or allure. Directed by Jamie Payne and written by show creator Neil Cross – the pair who gave rogue Detective Chief Inspector John Luther (Idris Elba) a fitting send-off in season 5 – Luther: The Fallen Sun retcons the show’s note-perfect ending in order to introduce a brand-new serial killer arch nemesis, lukewarm commentary on the internet age, and some non-stop plotting. It’s meant to be thrilling, but the result is narrative whiplash as Luther ping-pongs between locations and scenarios with little room for the character-centric introspections that made the series work.

The show – whose 20 episodes were released a handful at a time between 2010 and 2019 – concluded with DCI Luther being handcuffed, in a moving scene, by a reluctant Detective Superintendent/DSU Martin Schenk (Dermot Crowley). Luther’s fate was of his own making, after skirting legal and moral lines to apprehend suspects for a decade, while Schenk’s internal conflict in the finale allowed him to finally feel like a disappointed father figure to Luther. All that careful and thoughtful closure goes out the window soon after The Fallen Sun begins, where the series’ ending has been remixed to involve a new character entirely: serial killer/tech billionaire David Robey (Andy Serkis). It turns out he’s secretly responsible for Luther ending up behind bars! In the parlance of Daniel Craig’s Bond movies, Robey is “the author of all [Luther’s] pain” – or at least some of his pain, as it were.

The series’ throughline was arguably the bizarre but fascinating relationship between Luther and serial killer Alice Morgan, and in her absence, The Fallen Sun attempts to use its rewrite to forge a personal connection between Robey and Luther. However, Robey’s involvement in putting Luther behind bars never comes up again beyond the opening scenes, so it’s little more than a retcon for retcon’s sake.

To his credit, Robey is a fascinating villain on paper. He’s a man with seemingly infinite resources and omniscience, to the point that he can blackmail practically anyone into helping him kidnap his victims and execute them semi-publicly. Serkis, while admirably unhinged in his lofty musings about shame, has a strangely cartoonish presence created by his exaggerated wig and his impish desire to become involved with his victims’ personal lives. His murderous exhibitionism, coupled with Luther’s own guilt over failing to stop him, quickly yields a cat-and-mouse scenario wherein Luther escapes from prison to catch Robey while the police are on both their tails.

What's the best movie based on a TV show?

A recently retired Schenk is even called back in to help apprehend Luther, courtesy of his straight-laced, no-nonsense replacement, Odette Raine (Cynthia Erivo), but Schenk’s previous emotional investment in Luther is swept under the rug. Instead, the former DSU is used as a plot device who calls Luther over the phone to help the police map out his next move. Raine, meanwhile, plays the traditional series role of the straightforward, honorable foil to the morally grey Luther, but Erivo is similarly shackled by the demands of the ever-moving plot, which rarely slows down to allow Raine to even consider how getting sucked into this particular rabbit hole might compromise her morality.

Elba’s performance suffers similarly, since the story’s demands send Luther immediately from place to place on a technological scavenger hunt the moment he receives new information. One of the series’ highlights was its Criminal Minds-like psychobabble; even though its view on sociopaths and serials killers was plucked from pure fantasy, the puzzle pieces falling slowly into place were usually a treat to watch thanks to the way Elba pondered them and the way Luther relayed his conclusions to his coworkers (or his serial killer beau) with a sense of command. By making Luther a solo act, The Fallen Sun robs Elba of the opportunity to translate the plot and its themes for the audience through Luther’s gruff filter.

Instead, the film moves between action sequences with reckless abandon, with little time for its main character to absorb Robey’s actions and methodologies, let alone be bothered enough by them to take radical action. This version of Luther makes no difficult decisions, or even particularly risky ones. His morality is set in stone and his conclusions about Robey’s methods and psychology arrive all of a sudden, robbing us of one of the most enjoyable tenets of the procedural genre: watching a detective piece things together.

Luther: The Fallen Sun photos

As a result, Luther: The Fallen Sun is only procedural in theory. Its mile-a-minute progression, and its serial killer’s flair and twisted morality make it more of a hybrid between The Dark Knight and the Saw series, only a version of that crossover that’s a lot less interesting than it sounds.

Its biggest faults come courtesy of the way it frames its hero and villain. On one hand, the movie takes for granted that Luther exists in the public imagination as an idea or a concept, like Bond or Batman, and that audiences will be automatically enamored by him wearing his familiar coat or retrieving his old car (most viewers likely have no idea what he drives). The truth is that people care about Luther because he views heroism as his burden and sacred mission, no matter what it costs him or the people he loves. In The Fallen Sun Luther has no loved ones, so nothing is really at stake, so this story’s reverential view of him is rendered entirely without merit.

On the flip side, Robey’s blackmail is only explored in the broadest of strokes. Conceptually, using the internet to discern people’s darkest, most shameful secrets is a charged idea that preys on surveillance paranoia, but rare are the moments when people’s reluctant actions are actually put in the context of their secrets actually are. We never learn what information Robey has on most characters and so, much like Luther, their moral dilemmas are never compelling. In both cases, the audience is left in the dark about why anyone is doing pretty much anything.

Perhaps the one advantage The Fallen Sun has over the series is a Netflix budget, which allows for establishing helicopter shots of London’s skyline, a larger scale with more extras, and a more vibrant palette. But the show never needed these flourishes to tell a focused character story, even when it veered into the ridiculous with its increasingly operatic killers. You could, in theory, shoot a Luther story on a flip phone and have it be enrapturing, simply by giving Elba the right material – the right reasons to huff and be annoyed before having to skirt around the law and forge uneasy alliances for the umpteenth time – rather than creating a polished action-thriller with no soul, and with no perspective on the character of DCI Luther beyond some perceived iconography that, ironically, reduces him to an empty shell.

After five great seasons, Luther’s feature film adaptation proves to be a major let down, robbing the title character and his loyal fans of the little delights that made the series work. Andy Serkis makes for a fittingly over-the-top villain – he’s Jigsaw by way of Mark Zuckerberg – but Idris Elba is afforded little opportunity to return to the role of Luther, the tortured human being. Instead, he plays Luther the idea, a broad-strokes detective type with familiar attire but no internal life, and no narrative purpose beyond chasing bad guys from place to place.

Netflix's Luther: The Fallen Sun Review

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ on Netflix, in Which the Hit BBC Series Becomes a Retread of Serial Killer Thrillers

Where to stream:.

Luther: The Fallen Sun

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‘hijack’ season 2 is taking flight: apple tv+ renews idris elba’s high-octane thriller, ‘hijack’ creators break down intense finale and series’ biggest twists: “you want to be leonardo dicaprio pointing at the screen”, will there be a ‘hijack’ season 2 on apple tv+ creators weigh in.

Acclaimed Idris Elba-fronted BBC series Luther treks on with feature film Luther: The Fallen Sun (now on Netflix), a standalone saga that more closely resembles an old-school serial-killer thriller than a prestige-TV show that racked up a sizable heap of award nominations since its 2010 debut. I mean, it’s set in a version of London that makes Gotham City look like Smurf Village. Its plot strains credibility like spanx on a sperm whale. And its antagonist, played by Andy Serkis with absurdly maniacal helmet hair, makes the Jigsaw Killer from Saw look like Winnie the Pooh. However, it does give us scads and scads of brooding Elba, countered by a smart performance from Cynthia Erivo ( Harriet ), which may just make it worth 130 minutes of your life.

LUTHER: THE FALLEN SUN : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: The night: dark and stormy. The victim: A poor teenage gent, lured out by a man on the phone threatening to expose his secrets. The evil deed: Our gent stops at what appears to be an accident and the man on the phone, notably no longer on the phone, attacks and kidnaps him. The bad guy: David Robey (Serkis), a man with more money than sanity by a vast margin; he gets his kicks by blackmailing his victims with proof of all the no-nos they’ve indulged on the internet, then tortures and murders them. On the case: Luther (Elba), who’s somehow still employed despite being a police cop badge detective who colors way outside the lines. You know the type – your mother warned you about these guys, tall and dark and brooding and smoldering, and they’ve seen and done some shit and are almost certainly dynamite in the sack. ONE MILLION HEART EMOJIS.

Luther arrives on the scene and promises the victim’s anxious mother that he’ll find the kid, a promise that goes poof right quick via two developments: One, the kid’s body is found hanged in a mansion with several other victims’ bodies, which are discovered by the victims’ families just in time for the whole scene to burst into flames. (Don’t you HATE it when that happens?) And two, Luther’s unlawful misdeeds land him in maximum-security prison, where he, as a now former police cop badge detective, exists with a massive target on his back. Meanwhile, detective Odette Raine (Erivo) assumes the lead on the serial killer investigation. Unlike every other series of incidents involving such murderous sleazebagganos in the movies or real life, nobody bothers to nickname the killer. May I suggest the Catfisher? The World Wide Web Wacko? Maybe the Net Nut? So many possibilities.

Of course, Luther just has to get this guy, so he stages a prison riot that covers his escape from the pokey – although it’s not that easy, because he has to push and shove and punch and kick and headbutt his way out of a building full of guys who want to boil his bones in a broth, but he succeeds with hardly a scratch. (Don’t worry, by the time the movie ends, Luther will have sustained enough bruises, stab wounds, battered ribs and internal and external bleeding to give him a slight limp.) He pulls a sheet off his rapidly aging Volvo and gets to work in this rapidly aging plot, which surely fears the atrophy of a sedentary existence and therefore barrels full speed ahead, so you better hang on. It involves navigating backalley sex dungeons and abandoned subway tunnels and remote mansions by the Arctic Circle in Norway – note to Luther, zip up your damn coat, it’s cold up there – all while playing meow-and-squeak with detective Raine, who remains a half-step behind Robey and his f—ing hair, which is frustrating, his hair and the situation, because does the guy employ a personal stylist to get it like that or what, and because Luther is only a quarter-step behind him. Will the villain make this personal? Will our protags catch him? Will we ever see Luther walk into a store and buy at least one among his apparently endless supply of burner phones? NO SPOILERS.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Seven , The Batman , The Bone Collector , The Little Things , Saw , Saw II , Saw III , Saw V , Saw VI , The Snowman , Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie , etc.

Performance Worth Watching: Erivo and Elba get one very brief scene in which the unstoppable tank-division plot pauses for a beat or two and allows them to reveal tiny scraps of vulnerable character stuff. And after all this, these two very talented actors deserve to star in a My Dinner With Andre -type drama in which they play a cozy married couple who just sit in a sitting room sipping tea and talking about their favorite books.

Memorable Dialogue: Two cop characters, Archie (Thomas Coombes) and Luther’s old boss and loyal pal Martin (Dermot Crowley, reprising his role from the series), characterize our titular antihero:

Archie: Your friend’s giving me conniptions. Martin: Yes. He’ll do that.

Sex and Skin: Nah. All this grimness kills the mood.

Our Take: I don’t know what’s worse, that a movie introduces the increasingly wearisome idea of online-surveillance paranoia, or just uses it as a catalyst for a ridiculous series of ramped-up contrivances – diabolical schemes with nasty booby traps and countdown tickers – that constitute this plot. That woefully underdeveloped conceptual fodder merges with every cliche from the 1990s serial-killer film library to create a snappily paced, dragged-out, visually rich, thematically tedious, reasonably entertaining, annoyingly far-fetched chase-’em-down movie. I dunno, color me conflicted.

At least The Fallen Sun – complete nonsense title, by the way – looks good, with crisp editing, gloomy and artful cinematography and skillfully conceived and executed action set pieces (the prison break sequence stands out). But it rarely pauses to breathe and allow heavy-hitters Erivo and Elba time to play a character who isn’t reduced to a simplistic motivation and a means for exposition; it moves so rapidly through its plot points, we barely have a moment to consider that Luther is a superhuman creature who works night and day and never needs sleep and can maintain his wits despite enduring ungodly amounts of pain – as you do when human lives are at stake. Serkis, meanwhile, goes full glazed-ham, since significant effort must be exerted in order to not be upstaged by that hairpiece.

I dunno, without the series’ episodic structure, this Luther feels trapped in its feature-length structure, leaving little room for character development, contextual implications and subtext. It isn’t about much of anything, not moral ambiguity, the corruptibility of modern tech or even the origins of sociopathy. It’s a lousy procedural, in too much of a hurry to be detailed. It’s structured not as a suspenseful mystery but a haphazard chase lacking the type of twists and turns that might make it clever. And it’s unrelentingly grim and humorless. But hey, at least it’s handsome, right?

Our Call: Handsome same old stuff is still the same old stuff. SKIP IT.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Luther: The Fallen Sun – Netflix Review (4/5)

Posted by Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard | Mar 10, 2023 | 4 minutes

LUTHER: THE FALLEN SUN on Netflix is a new serial killer movie. Idris Elba continues to star in the title role just as he did in the series that came before. If you tend to enjoy dark crime thrillers, then you’ll love this one. Read our full Luther: The Fallen Sun movie review here!

LUTHER: THE FALLEN SUN is a new Netflix thriller based on the BBC series that ran from 2010 to 2019. Over five seasons (one of them being a Christmas special with just two episodes), a total of 21 episodes have been released.

The Luther series has been on my list of things to watch forever. As of watching this Luther movie on Netflix, I have not watched a single episode of the series. Still, I expected this movie to be good. However, I never anticipated that it would be this good.

With a runtime of 2 hours and 10 minutes, it never feels too long. Even if I did spend much of the runtime on the edge of my seat!

Continue reading our Luther: The Fallen Sun movie review below. Watch it on Netflix from March 10, 2023.

Idris Elba doesn’t need Bond – He’s already Luther!

While I never got around to watching the Luther series before checking out the movie, the one thing I knew was that it starred Idris Elba ( The Dark Tower ) in the title role. Also, I knew it was produced by the BBC and is a classic crime, drama, mystery, thriller hybrid series. Exactly the kind that British television has excelled at for decades.

What I didn’t expect from this Luther movie on Netflix was something that could compare with James Bond movies.

However, with the huge exception that DCI John Luther doesn’t use various gadgets and gimmicks. He’s just a brawler and an actual genius when it comes to reading people. Think Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot more than Ethan Hunt of the Mission Impossible movies, when it comes to figuring out the crime mystery.

But with a touch of Dirty Harry when it comes to getting the bad guys to talk. In that sense, he’s also quite reminiscent of James Bond. Though, now that I think about it, James Bond tends to be the one being tortured rather than to torture someone. John Luther is experiencing both ends – so to speak – in this Netflix movie alone!

A few years back, there was a lot of talk about the possibility that Idris Elba could be the next James Bond. However, watching this movie, I couldn’t help but think that Idris Elba doesn’t need to be James Bond when he’s already John Luther. Admittedly, I think he could’ve been a brilliant James Bond, but this movie is as dark as the final Bond movie starring Daniel Craig.

And that’s neither a teaser nor a spoiler.

Luther: The Fallen Sun – Review | Netflix Thriller

A new boss and a new supervillain

Along with Idris Elba, Luther: The Fallen Sun has an immensely strong cast. Cynthia Erivo ( Bad Times at the El Royale , Stephen King’s The Outsider ) is the new boss, DCI Odette Raine. Though she’s not exactly the boss of John Luther since he ends up in prison at the beginning of the movie.

As always, Cynthia Erivo is a force to be reckoned with. She’s a tiny woman really, but standing across from the tall Idris Elba, you forget due to her big and bold attitude.

Also, there’s Andy Serkis who is absolutely fantastic as the supervillain. And he really is a villain of the worst kind. He is a serial killer of a very special kind. The kind who doesn’t like to get his hands dirty, but who is controlling everything . It’s brilliant and terrifying in an intensely sick way.

Many people die in Luther: The Fallen Sun and even more corpses are seen. As in people who have already died when the story begins. Andy Serkis has the perfect face for this kind of villain who hides in plain sight. And yes, we do know that he is the serial killer from both the trailer and the beginning of the movie.

While Andy Serkis ( The Batman , Planet of the Apes trilogy ) can look the part of a deranged villain, he can sound even more like one. A brilliant voice actor, he is able to fully utilize that talent here as well.

Watch Luther: The Fallen Sun on Netflix!

The director of Luther: The Fallen Sun is Jamie Payne who previously directed episodes of the Luther series (all of season 5) and a few episodes of The Alienist series . To name just a few on the impressive IMDb resume of Jamie Payne.

The writer is Neil Cross, which makes perfect sense as he is also the creator of the BBC series Luther . Having watched this Netflix movie about DCI John Luther “doing what he does best”, I am actually quite excited to still have the Luther series to look forward to. In fact, it’s moving to the very top of my watchlist quite fast.

Whether you’re familiar with the Luther series or not, this is an intensely entertaining thriller with a crime mystery. For horror fans, it also offers a very intriguing villain and a downright diabolic plan. In fact, the entire method behind the crimes and murders in this movie was a stroke of brilliance. Mostly because I expect most people will be able to relate in some way.

Luther: The Fallen Sun is on Netflix from March 10, 2023. Also, it’s been in select theaters since February 2023.

Director: Jamie Payne Writer: Neil Cross Stars: Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis, Dermot Crowley, Thomas Coombes, Hattie Morahan

Haunted by an unsolved murder, brilliant but disgraced London police detective John Luther breaks out of prison to hunt down a sadistic serial killer.

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I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!

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Luther: The Fallen Sun Review

24 Feb 2023

Luther: The Fallen Sun

In 2019, the TV series Luther wrapped up reasonably neatly, with a suitably downbeat ending. Luther ( Idris Elba ), a detective who’d been flouting the law for years, mostly with good intentions, was arrested, presumed on his way to jail. This movie never makes a compelling reason for restarting the story. While the scale is upped and there are some reasonable action sequences, it does little to advance the character and lacks the dark creativity of the show. Rather than sinister, it’s mostly just an uneasy mix of silly and nasty.

It begins with a jumbled set-up that mixes bits of the TV finale with a new story. A young man is kidnapped by a masked menace ( Andy Serkis ) who finds people’s darkest digital secrets and blackmails them into either doing his bidding or killing themselves. Luther promises the man’s mother he’ll get him back. The kidnapper leaks all Luther’s past illegal misdoings, which helps get him sent to jail. Despite being locked up, Luther vows to catch this twisted serial killer, so he breaks out and somehow joins uneasy forces with new Detective Superintendent, Odette Raine ( Cynthia Erivo ).

This is just nonsensical and violently bleak, rather than thrilling.

If this plot sounds lurching and farfetched, this is all before it gets completely ridiculous. Neil Cross’ series was often absurd, but it had imagination. It was peppered with nightmarish images that played to your most primitive fears. Who can forget the clown-masked man at the back of the bus or the killer emerging from under the bed? This is just nonsensical and violently bleak, rather than thrilling. While director Jamie Payne, who made several of the TV episodes, successfully broadens the canvas of Luther’s dark London, he fails to navigate the script’s many holes.

Andy Serkis makes a peculiar villain. With his lustrous blow-dry and leering grin, he looks like an '80s gameshow host, creepy but not frightening. He’s doing his best with an oddly cobbled together baddy, whose motives and ability to construct a secret digital empire are barely explained. By the time we’re at his elaborate secret Norwegian lair, all hope of a satisfying resolution is long gone.

Elba is as he always was in the role, worn down by the world yet somehow, deep down, still optimistic, but there’s nothing new for him to dig into. This all feels rather recycled. Digital paranoia. Dark web pervert secret societies. Fights on frozen lakes. It’s like a grab bag of Black Mirror episodes, the worst bits of Craig-era Bond and sundry Scandi noirs.

Movies | 10 02 2023

‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ is an Enjoyable Continuation of the TV Series

Idris Elba triumphantly returns as DCI John Luther, who after being convicted for his past sins, must escape from prison in order to stop a serial killer.

Opening in select theaters on February 24th and premiering on Netflix beginning March 10th is the film version of the popular British TV series ‘Luther,’ which is entitled ‘ Luther: The Fallen Sun ’ and was directed by Jamie Payne and written by series creator Neil Cross .

What Happened on the 'Luther' Series?

‘Luther’ is a series that ran for five seasons on the BBC and starred Idris Elba as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther of the Serious Crime Unit. Luther is a brilliant and dedicated police officer, who is also obsessive and sometimes violent. After being suspended for the way he apprehends a child murderer, Luther returns to the squad and soon investigates a psychopath named Alice Morgan ( Ruth Wilson ), who he thinks murdered her parents.

Over the next five seasons, Luther and Alice play a cat and mouse game where she often helps the detective, not unlike Hannibal Lector and Clarice Starling in ‘ The Silence of the Lambs .’ Along the way, Luther’s obsession with catching criminals is tested by the trail of death left in his wake that has included his wife Zoe ( Indira Varma ), his partner Justin Ripley ( Warren Brown ), and colleague Benny ( Michael Smiley ). Season five ended with the murder of his new partner Catherine Halliday ( Wunmi Mosaku ) in cold blood by Alice, and Luther being arrested for the crime after Alice’s supposed death.

Luther: The Fallen Sun

Is 'Luther: The Fallen Sun' a Sequel and What is the Plot?

Yes, ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ is a sequel to the series and picks up after the events of season five, where Luther has been apparently cleared of Halliday’s murder. Luther’s superintendent, Martin Schenk ( Dermot Crowley ), assigns him to the case of a gruesome serial killer named David Robey ( Andy Serkis ). The killer is using private cyber information to blackmail victims into committing crimes for him.

Robey soon realizes that Luther is a threat to his overall plans, and frames the detective for his past questionable behavior, sending him to prison so Robey can continue his despicable work. But when Robey begins taunting Luther behind bars, Luther plans an elaborate prison escape so he can stop Robey. Meanwhile, the new leader of the Serious Crime Unit, DCI Odette Raine ( Cynthia Erivo ) enlists Schenk to help her catch Luther and Robey. With the police after him and nowhere to turn, Luther must rely on his instincts to elude the police and catch Robey before he can complete his murderous plans.

Who is in the Cast of 'Luther: The Fallen Sun?'

'Luther: The Fallen Sun’ stars Golden Globe and Emmy winner Idris Elba once again reprising his role as John Luther, and Dermot Crowley also returns as Martin Schenk, while the film features new cast members such as Oscar-nominee Cynthia Erivo (‘ Harriet ’) as DCI Odette Raine, and Andy Serkis (‘ The Batman ’) as David Robey.

Initial Thoughts

The result is a very compelling and entertaining film adaption of the TV series, that is still completely enjoyable if you’ve never seen the show, but also fits in enough callbacks and Easter eggs for fans that have seen all five seasons. Neil Cross and Jamie Payne have successfully adapted the best parts of the series into a fast-paced theatrical movie, but its Idris Elba’s brilliant performance in his signature role that makes it truly worth seeing.

Film Adaption, Writing and Directing

While the first season of ‘Luther’ contained six episodes, most of the following seasons of the series have only had two to four episodes, which is probably why the show lends itself so well to a cinematic adaption. Jamie Payne directed the fifth season, and his work here is a continuation of what he started on the show, clearly understanding this story and its main character. Series creator Neil Cross wrote the script, and the villain he created for this movie, David Robey, is probably the best the series has seen since Alice Morgan.

But Cross wisely doesn’t reinvent the wheel, rather he builds off of the five previous seasons that has led the character of Luther to the place we find him at the start of the movie. The series has always taken inspiration from the classic detective show ‘Columbo,’ where the killer and their crimes are revealed at the beginning of the episode, and the fun is watching Peter Falk ’s character solve the crime.

The film does the same, introducing us to Robey in the opening moments, and beginning his rivalry with Luther. Those not familiar with the series might see this as an odd way to open the film, but it is in line with the series, and both Cross and Payne pull it off creating a real cinematic tone.

While ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ does work as a standalone movie, it is also extremely rewarding for fans of the series, and those who have watched all five seasons will definitely have a stronger emotional tie to the film. For example, when Dermot Crowley’s Martin Schenk is told that Luther has escaped and is no longer in prison, his tired response, “Of course he's not,” will ring truer for those familiar with John and Martin’s long friendship.

But new viewers should be aware, the first 10 minutes of the movie runs at lightning speed. In those opening moments, we are introduced to Robey and his crimes, Luther, Robey wanting to frame Luther, then Luther being arrested, tried, and convicted for his past crimes. Again, this all moves very quickly, as it needs to because we can’t have Luther in prison for the entire movie.

As a fan, this all works because we’ve seen the other five seasons of the series. Luther cut some corners and did some questionable things, so the pace in which he is arrested and sentenced, while still quick, makes more sense because we know the history of the show. But for those meeting Luther for the first time with ‘Fallen Sun,’ the beginning of the movie may move too fast for some to follow.

Who is the killer in ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun?’

Andy Serkis plays David Robey, a tech billionaire and serial killer who uses surveillance technology to manipulate and kill civilians. Robey is a great ‘Luther’ advisory, and the best since Wilson’s Alice. He is also the “reckoning” that audiences have been waiting for, as he is the man that actually makes John Luther face the mistakes of his past. He is also a real threat to the citizens of London, making the urgency for Luther to escape from prison and stop him, all that more important.

Serkis is clearly having a lot of fun playing this evil character, and it’s probably the actor’s best villain portrayal since Gollum in ‘ The Lord of the Rings ’ movies. While Robey is clearly crazy and very menacing, Serkis also injects the character with vulnerabilities and a God complex, that makes him very interesting to watch. He has fantastic chemistry with Elba and Erivo, especially in the final moments of the film.

Cynthia Erivo as Odette Raine in 'Luther: The Fallen Sun.'

Supporting Cast

Oscar-nominee Cynthia Erivo is good as DCI Odette Raine, but the character falls into a similar trap as other ‘Luther’ adversaries from past seasons. She doesn’t agree with Luther’s methods and thinks he’s a “dirty cop,” so we spend half of the movie wondering when she will realize that working with Luther is the only way to stop Robey, and that Luther is not the real villain here. It’s a frustrating role for Erivo to play, but she pulls it off as best she can.

But fans of the series will be delighted to see Dermot Crowley return as Martin Schenk, the only other surviving member of the first season along with Luther. Crowley clearly knows this character, and Martin’s love, respect and understanding of Luther comes shining through. Martin is literally John’s only friend left alive, and the only person who truly understands the ordeal John has been through, mostly by his own choices. That respect is felt through the character, and some of the best scenes are between Crowley and Elba.

Dermot Crowley as Martin Schenk in 'Luther: The Fallen Sun.'

Will Alice Morgan be in ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun?’

Unfortunately, the short answer is no. Not only does Ruth Wilson not appear in ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun,’ but Alice Morgan is not even mentioned, which I think is for the best. Wilson and Elba had fantastic onscreen chemistry together and Alice was certainly a very important part of the series, but as a fan, I think her time has gone.

As a character she was a bad influence on Luther and often encouraged him to stop doing what he does best, which is be a detective. From a storytelling stand point, there was not much left to do with the character, and she was starting to become a detriment to the show. While it seems that she is dead, you never really know with Alice, but I do hope they don’t bring her back again. ‘Fallen Sun’ ends with an interesting way that the character could live on in sequels, becoming more like a James Bond , and I’d hate to see that ruined by the unnecessary return of Alice Morgan.

Final Thoughts

In the end, ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ is an extremely enjoyable standalone ‘Luther’ movie and maybe one of the best examples of a film adaption of a TV show capturing the magic of the original. Fans of the series will be rewarded for their loyalty to the show, and new audiences will be captivated by Idris Elba’s complicated hero, and Andy Serkis’ reprehensible villain.

‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.

Other Movies Similar to ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun:’

' Bullitt ' (1968)
' Dirty Harry ' (1971)
' Die Hard ' (1988)
‘ Takers ' (2010)
‘ The Losers ' (2010)
' Pacific Rim ' (2013)
' Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw ' (2019)
‘ The Suicide Squad ' (2021)
' The Harder They Fall ' (2021)

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'Luther: The Fallen Sun' is produced by BBC Film, Chernin Entertainment and Netflix, and is scheduled for release on Netflix March 10th.

Jami Philbrick has worked in the entertainment industry for over 20 years and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Moviefone.com. Formally, Philbrick was the Managing Editor of Relativity Media's iamROGUE.com, and a Senior Staff Reporter and Video Producer for Mtime, China's largest entertainment website. He has also written for Fandango, MovieWeb, and Comic Book Resources. Philbrick received the 2019 International Media Award at the 56th annual ICG Publicists Awards, and is a member of the Critics Choice Association. He has interviewed such talent as Tom Cruise, George Clooney, Dwayne Johnson, Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Quentin Tarantino, and Stan Lee.

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Luther: The Fallen Sun Review: The Award-Winning Series Rises Again

Avoids the curse of TV-to-movie adaptations, if only because an over-the-top serial killer drama works far better in feature form
Takes inspiration from the Daniel Craig era of Bond movies, which helps the series expand in scale for the big screen
Andy Serkis' villain is a delightfully campy, genuinely nasty creation
Don't expect any deeper social commentary, no matter how much it alludes towards it -- this is a thriller best enjoyed with your brain switched off

Despite being praised for its gritty storytelling, the BBC's crime procedural "Luther" is one of the most over-the-top detective series to have ever graced the small screen. Its storylines are dark on the surface, but that self-conscious darkness is always depicted via melodrama that pushes beyond the limits of plausibility. The menacing villains could equally be at home in a James Bond spy romp, while Idris Elba 's protagonist becomes such an overblown parody of the tortured detective archetype, he indirectly inspired a British sitcom parodying the self-serious grit of contemporary cop dramas, in the style of "The Naked Gun" ("A Touch Of Cloth," co-written by "Black Mirror" creator Charlie Brooker).

As a result, the character of John Luther makes for a much better fit on the big screen, where the show's overblown storylines transform from a liability into an asset. Although a loose continuation of the series, picking up from where 2019's fifth season left off, "Luther: The Fallen Sun" has clearly been devised as a soft relaunch by creator and screenwriter Neil Cross and veteran series director Jamie Payne, here making his feature debut. Very few ties to the source material are kept, with only one other character of note other than the titular figure returning to the fold (Dermot Crowley as Martin Schenk, Luther's former boss), while the opening title card simply reads "Luther," deviating from the film's given title in what seems like a statement of intent. The film appears to tell die-hard fans that this is a return to basics and that newcomers shouldn't be burdened by what came before — this is all the introduction to the crime saga you need to enjoy yourself.

Will satisfy fans and newcomers alike

For this reviewer, a casual viewer of the BBC series who by no means made it appointment viewing, this approach works like a treat, leaning more into its inherent silliness without compromising on the murkier elements that give it an edge amongst like-minded crime procedurals. We do pick up where that fifth season left off, with John Luther (Elba) now imprisoned after his illegal tactics to catch criminals have been exposed, all the context a newcomer needs to understand what makes this character tick: a pursuit of justice at all costs that frequently becomes destructive to himself and those around him. However, his time behind bars is short-lived as he soon becomes fixated on a case he couldn't solve in the serial killing spree being carried out by cyber-terrorist David Robey (a delightfully theatrical Andy Serkis), who continues to taunt the now-former detective in his cell.

Robey helms a dark-web empire that live-streams elaborate murders to audiences of thousands, frequently catfishing and blackmailing innocent people in his search for more onscreen victims. Most of these schemes are left to the imagination, but the ones that are revealed — namely, a man who was catfished and found himself committing an act of sexual assault against someone he believed to be in a consensual BDSM-adjacent relationship with — give enough depth as to why several people would be more than eager to die by suicide on camera instead of facing up to their guilty consciences. As viewers of "Luther" have come to expect, the subject matter is far darker than many a police procedural, but it's handled in such an over-the-top way, labeling it "gritty" feels deeply inaccurate.

With the vast majority of the TV supporting cast left off-screen, we get more familiar, big-screen friendly faces joining Elba in this outing — not just Serkis as the villain, but the great Cynthia Erivo as detective Odette Raine, whose desire to catch villains by the book throws her into conflict with John Luther, only for both to get thrown into the same trap, as nobody who gets close to him can leave the story unscathed.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by callin g 1 -800-273-TALK (8255).

A Bond-style big screen makeover

Although the small screen series had several elaborately staged sequences which pushed the limitations of the BBC's threadbare budgets — let us not forget how many nightmares were caused by the bus murder in the Season 5 premiere — "The Fallen Sun" gives Cross and Payne a chance to scale their ambitions up further. I've used the Bond comparison already in relation to the series' litany of villains, and Serkis' Robey is the closest "Luther" has come to creating an adversary who you could easily imagine torturing 007; the motivations and the accent may be different, but in his campy stage presence (something which really comes to the fore as he hosts his live streams like a twisted game show host) he bares more than a striking similarity to Javier Bardem's Raoul Silva in "Skyfall."

But the comparisons to Britain's biggest film franchise extend far beyond character similarities, with various set pieces taking cues from the recent Daniel Craig era. As with "Skyfall," there's a dramatic chase sequence leading us around several London landmarks, deep into the underground tube network, and the epic finale takes us overseas to a snowy villain lair that would have been equally at home in "Spectre" or "No Time to Die." Yes, these are all largely surface-level comparisons, but they exist as clear statements of intent regardless. Besides, the Craig era of that franchise grappled with many of the same thematic obsessions as "Luther," such as breaking the rules to achieve justice and the morality of killing to save others. Whether they're tortured, crooked detectives, or conflicted super spies, nobody can conduct espionage in Britain with a clean conscience, if the past decade of pop culture is to be believed.

"Luther: The Fallen Sun" is a deeply entertaining thriller but one that falls apart under scrutiny very quickly if any of these themes were to be analyzed with any greater depth. At a time when the abuse of power by police is coming under increased scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic, don't expect any greater commentary than a rookie cop telling an escaped-from-incarceration Luther that he looks up to him despite his illegal methods to get justice. And then there are Robey's dark web streams, which we see are watched exclusively by a gawping audience of men. Any connections to online chat rooms and message boards where anonymous users cheer on terror attacks in real-time, a bleak occurrence now regularly revealed in news reports just moments after real tragedies unfold, must be filled in entirely by the viewer. Judging by the early 2000s aesthetic of Robey's dark website, it's safe to say neither Cross nor Payne is particularly interested in making an old-fashioned serial killer thriller appear relevant to a modern context; this could have been made at any point in the last 20 years, with no script revisions required.

Luckily, "Luther: The Fallen Sun" is thrilling enough as a straightforward detective drama that it has no clear need to modernize its story. I suspect both die-hard fans and newcomers to this world will leave satisfied due to how it avoids the curse of most TV-to-film adaptations — this is purely a feature-length episode of "Luther," told on a scale beyond what the BBC's budget could ever allow.

"Luther: The Fallen Sun" arrives on Netflix on Friday, March 10.

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Most recently producing A24’s acclaimed musical comedy Dicks: The Musical and Luther: The Fallen Sun , as well as shows like See and Truth Be Told , Chernin Entertainment’s upcoming slate on the film side includes Netflix’s action comedy Back in Action , starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz; the recently announced Fear Street: Prom Queen for Netflix; and Sydney Freeland’s coming-of-age sports drama Rez Ball , also for Netflix. On the television side, upcoming projects include Apple TV+’s historical miniseries Chief of War , starring Jason Momoa, and the Colman Domingo-led limited series The Madness for Netflix.

Recently, Chernin also saw Netflix acquire the female-driven thriller spec Apex from Jeremy Robbins, which the company will produce alongside Ian Bryce, as we were first to report.

Siegel is represented by CAA, Gotham Group and attorney Jared Bloch.

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