‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’ review: Tommy Shelby’s legacy is eternal

Tommy Shelby’s legacy will never die, and neither will the fans’ love for him The Peaky Blinders.

Steven Knight’s beloved series about a 20th-century Birmingham gangster (played by Cillian Murphy) ended in 2022 after six seasons of complex plots, senseless murders, and super-smart enemies. However, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man brings the series to an even more satisfying conclusion, honoring its iconic characters with a final round of soundtracks by Fontaines DC, mclusky, and Nick Cave.

Watching Murphy ride into town on a dark horse one last time, just like he did in the very first episode The Peaky Blindersthe film concludes the series in an explosive, moving, and respectful manner befitting one of television’s worst criminal minds.

What Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man about?

The last episode of The Peaky Blinders happened in 1934, too An Immortal jumps ahead a few years to the Second World War, bringing us closer to the shocking Luftwaffe bombing that actually took place at the Birmingham Small Arms factory in 1940. Peaky a cinematic story about the Second World War.”) Knight and director Tom Harper pour every last ounce of their production team’s skills into this explosive opening sequence, with stunning trail shots, blistering rock music, and heartwarming moments of human interaction before everything goes to waste – and it really sets the tone for this epic finale.

The Nazis, aided by British ally John Beckett (a brilliant Tim Roth), have plans to win the war by flooding the British economy with counterfeit money, with war profits on the table from, say, Birmingham’s local gang leaders. Who would take a container with so much poison? The only son of the legendary Tommy Shelby, Erasmus “Duke” Shelby (a well-played Barry Keoghan), has a chip on his shoulder going deep.

Away from the front lines, Tommy now lives alone, suffering from grief, shame, and the memory of his lost loved ones. His quiet home life runs in contrast to the underworld shenanigans he once ran, though Harper makes sure to include a gunshot of dead birds and a bloody drip to keep the violent Tommy close at hand. “I was a certain king,” he cried to himself in exile. Withdrawn from society, Tommy wanders his land and visits the overcrowded cemeteries, speaking of cowardice and regret. How long will he stay out of it, especially since his son’s actions are headed for a darker place than he’s ever been?

Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan make a very intense father/son duo

*Extreme Vin Diesel voice* family
Credit: Robert Viglasky / Netflix

Watching Murphy revisit his iconic role is the perfect gift, as Tommy fights to take on his iconic mantle once again. While Tommy’s old times The Peaky Blinders While the jaw-dropping satanic antics are limited in the film, the scenes we do get are important – watching a young idiot insult Tommy in his Garrison pub without knowing who the hell he’s talking to who doesn’t go well. An Immortal indeed he gives Murphy his last “cool guys don’t look at the explosion” as Tommy, with an hour and a half of the actor looking absolutely stunning as he travels Birmingham and the Midlands to various needle drops.

Of course, Tommy writes his memoirs – and especially at every possible moment, including the boat on the way to the mission, which disturbed me – and Murphy seems to say goodbye to his character with his work, mourning, reflection, and uncomfortable pride. Cinematographers George Steel and Ben Wilson put the series’ hero in all his chiaroscuro glory, with Murphy evoking pure suffering through his stoic character.

Props to the cast of Keoghan’s run as Duke, and Saltburn an actor who portrays Murphy’s cold unpredictability (and flat cap) as his son. Trying to overcome his father’s legacy, the Duke turns to extreme measures, evil plans, and cruelty, despite the dismay of his aunt, Ada Thorne (an excellent return from Sophie Rundle). Watching Murphy and Keoghan as father and son fight, even fighting in the mud surrounded by pigs, feels raw, brutal, and full of family. The Peaky Blinders you have been there.

I can watch The Immortal Son if I don’t look The Peaky Blinders?

It’s Stagg (Stephen Graham)!
Credit: Robert Viglasky / Netflix

If you don’t look The Peaky BlindersI must warn you that the movie comes with major spoilers about what happens to several of the main characters, so if you’re planning to start the series, don’t start here.

However, if you don’t intend to watch The Peaky Blinders overall, there is enough context provided in the film’s dialogue to avoid any necessary rapid-fire cuts. The film also makes several revelations of beloved characters such as Hayden Stagg (Stephen Graham) who are very clear about their importance, so you will always have information about old friends, lovers, and the like – even if one of them (Rebecca Ferguson) plays the twin sister card to bring the character back.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or not, Tommy Shelby’s legacy is one The Peaky Blinders seems to exceed the episodes themselves, with An Immortal a fitting conclusion. As Shelby herself said, “I will remember everything and forget nothing.”

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man airs on Netflix March 20.