By: Kimberly Grant

He’s back.  Idris Elba has returned as DCI John Luther and he’s better than ever.  This time, he’s chasing down leads to stop a serial killer and evading the same law enforcement unit he used to work for.

Netflix’s Luther: The Fallen Sun will be available in select theaters in late February and on Netflix starting March 10.

Storied Nostalgia

The Fallen Sun is written by Neil Cross (who also wrote the series for television) and directed by Jamie Payne.  If you’re a fan of the Luther BBC series, then you already know what to expect.  Luther is a good man at heart, but the way he goes about his job is unethical.  He will even resort to almost breaking the law, if it means saving people from a sadistic killer. 

Fans of the series have also come to expect that Luther will be walking and running the streets of a gritty-looking London.  Lastly, fans can expect to see a black woman in a prominent role that’s not his love interest.  For Fallen Sun, that woman is Cynthia Erivo’s DCI Odette Raine.

In Fallen Sun, Luther is put in prison for all of the things he’s done in his past that were just below the law.  Unfortunately, he’s thrown in prison while he’s investigating the kidnapping of a young man who is being blackmailed by a faceless serial killer.  Of course, in true Luther fashion, the audience can put a face to the villain: Andy Serkis’ David Robey.

Thematic Story

The major theme of the film is that the villain is a rich man with too much means to do bad things.  This villain is so rich and out of touch that he actually takes pleasure in torturing his victims; just because he can.  David is the type of villain that you know is bad, but you feel sorry for them. 

The minor theme of this film is digital platforms.  Without giving away too much of the movie, there is a part of the film in which data farms are used to target victims.  Their targeting practices mirror the same practices used in marketing to target users for advertisements.  As a digital marketer myself, it made me squirm in my seat.  As a marketing student, I was taught that you target users for ads, while using ethics.  Clearly, the characters in this film were not taught the same thing.

In Fallen Sun, the victims are everyday people who are exploited using their secret activities.  That point alone makes you look internally.  As a juxtaposition, the story also highlights a small sect of people who like to watch bad things.  It forces the audience to confront their inner desires as human beings and ask if we, too, are a part of the problem when it comes to bad things happening to good people. 

Performance-wise, Elba is Luther.  It’s almost as if he is the person Luther was created from.  Down to his signature walk (with hands in pockets), Elba practically jumps off of the screen.  He carries the film in a way that keeps you rooting for him, despite whatever bad thing Luther does.  Most importantly, Luther and Elba have aged gracefully and only gotten better with time.

I was excited when I saw Erivo’s name come onto the screen.  Just when you think you know Erivo’s type when it comes to acting, she does something different.  A veritable chameleon, Erivo’s DCI Raine is no-nonsense and doesn’t cow tow to Luther.  She’s tough and a boss when it comes to her job and her family.  Most importantly, Erivo allows DCI Raine to have moments of vulnerability, which makes her relatable.

Lastly, there’s Serkis as David.  David looks like an odd character from the first frame.  Not just because Serkis has a unique look.  David looks odd from head-to-toe.  Starting with his hair style that’s too big for his head to his androgynous fashions to his effeminate demeanor.  From the moment you see Serkis as David, he gives you the creeps.  This is a testament to Serkis’ acting ability.  He’s come a long way from being a CGI, ring-obsessed goblin. 

Storied Expectations

To be expected, the latest in the Luther series takes audiences on a wild ride through England as John Luther tries to stop a sadistic serial killer.  It also makes you look internally and think about what we are allowing to enter into our soul gates (our eyes) and what that means for us as a society.  Not only are we watching bad things happen to good people, but we are the reason why it’s still being seen on TV and movie screens.  If we stop watching it, these types of things will stop getting made.

Now that I’ve waxed philosophically, I can say that fans of the Luther series are in for a treat.  If you’re not a fan of the Luther series, there’s no time like the present to get yourself acquainted. 

Not a fan of Luther, but you like movies?  You can read my other movie reviews here.

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