Just yesterday the Chief Inspector of London Police and today the convicted criminal John Luther, portrayed by Idris Elba, escapes from prison to close the last case. In a retrospective reveal, before his capture, a young porter had led the investigation into Callum Aldrich’s kidnapping, and the arrest itself pulled in a completely different client. The interest centers on David Robie, a successful trader who moonlights as a serial killer, a man who abducted and murdered the unfortunate young man. Luther must now conduct the investigation solo while evading pursuit by former colleagues led by Odette Rein, the newly installed head of the serious and serial crimes division.
Talk of Luther continuing on the big screen has simmered for years. The project, in this version, links to another BBC hit, Peaky Blinders, with creator Steven Knight promising to flesh out the fate of the gangster Tommy Shelby. Shelby and his crew are poised for a dramatic comeback. Yet Luther presents a different rhythm: the fifth season, which aired in 2019, largely completed the arc of the genius detective, whose methods often toe the line between brilliance and menace. He has barely kept his moral compass intact, and the romance with the manipulative Irene Adler added a sharp, risky edge to his already crooked path. The ending was somber, but undeniably gripping, cementing Luther as a remarkable fusion of crime writing and intense television drama.
Directed by Jamie Payne, with a screenplay by Neil Cross, the film Fallen Sun revisits Luther’s world in a way that revisits familiar terrain while testing new boundaries. It doesn’t perfectly mirror the high bar set years earlier, but it emerges as a solid detective thriller where the reunion between the characters invites mixed reactions. Luther’s persona, while still iconic, doesn’t have a clear path for dramatic evolution, and Elba delivers a range of restrained, impactful moments across the film’s two-hour span. David Robie’s portrayal, though memorable, leans into caricature, evoking a certain archetype that some viewers might associate with familiar fantasy villains from popular cinema.
In the end, the finale remains something of a paradox. The series, once praised for its razor-edged tension and clever plotting, shifts into something that feels predictable and even a touch silly at times. Midway through the movie, Luther rejects a predictable gadget or drink, a small gesture that underscores his stubborn independence. The closing scenes, rather than delivering a triumphant send-off, carry a sense of resignation, hinting that this may be the final chapter for a character who defined a stylistic era of crime drama. Fans may find themselves contemplating a quieter, more reflective ending rather than a blockbuster spectacle, and the series’ legacy endures as a benchmark for character-driven investigations and morally ambiguous justice.