I'm very excited about Netflix's new Luther movie, Luther: The Fallen Sun. Idris Elba's rough-edged London copper is one of my very favourite fictional detectives, and the TV show managed to walk the very fine line between gruesome thrills and over-the-top daftness. The film promises to dial up the spectacle even more.
The film premieres on Netflix in March, but unless you have one of the very best TVs with a screen the size of the average house I think this is one you should see in the cinema – and that's exactly what I'm doing on Monday. The film is only going to be in cinemas for a very short time, so if you fancy seeing Idris do his thing on a the biggest possible screen you'll need to book quickly.
What's the new Luther film about?
With Luther's rule-breaking cop in prison, a serial killer – played by Andy Serkis – is terrorising London. So naturally Luther escapes in order to bring the killer to justice by any means necessary. The trailer, below, is an absolute hoot and the action scenes are just begging to be experienced in a cinema with a seriously loud sound system.
The reviews are starting to come in, and it's safe to say they're mixed: Digital Spy says it's exactly what fans of the show will expect, but that it won't win over newcomers. That's apparent in many of the reviews, which balk at the horror and violence (The Guardian), the focus on action rather than characterisation (IGN) and the clear attempt to start a film franchise (Rogerebert.com). But the Ebert review is really interesting, describing the film as closer to The Dark Knight or Saw than a typical police procedural.
It's pretty clear that we're not looking at a Last of Us-style masterpiece. But I don't care, because it's been too long since I've heard that voice, seen that coat and watched Elba chewing the scenery like a sober suited Godzilla. The Fallen Sun looks like tons of fun.
