By Joel Harley
By popular demand, Idris Elba’s shaggy detective returns in this feature-length sequel to the hit BBC series. And yes, he’s still wearing the coat.
Picking up where the 2019 cliffhanger left off, The Fallen Sun finds John Luther (still Elba) headed to prison. However, in a cheeky retcon by writer Neil Cross and director Jamie Payne, it’s revealed that Luther’s imprisonment was a result of the machinations of well-connected psychopath David Robey (Andy Serkis). With Luther locked up, the monster is free to wreak all manner of havoc, seemingly without rhyme or reason.
Ignored by his replacement (Cynthia Eviro), guilt-tripped by an oath from the past, and mocked by the killer, Luther is left with no option but to stage his own breakout, in order to catch a beast. But can he do so before Robey unveils his monstrous endgame?
Luther may have been given a cinematic sheen, but it returns as dark and moody as ever. This is the detective thriller as horror film – John Luther versus Jigsaw. In Serkis, the series gives Luther his most flamboyant enemy to date, complete with ridiculous hair and ostentatious suits. Scratch that, it’s John Luther versus Batman villain, positioning the detective as Dark Knight – signature suit (or scruffy jacket), car, sidekicks and all. There’s even a shot of the hero brooding over his city from a London rooftop.
And, like Nolan’s Dark Knight films, The Fallen Sun is tremendously exciting work, so long as one doesn’t squint too hard. Characters pop up inorganically, for convenience’s sake – an imperilled daughter because the plot demands it, and a deus-ex wife. Serkis’s villain, for all the pomp and circumstance, rings somewhat hollow if you stop to examine the what and why.
But, for its flaws, The Fallen Sun is a treat for fans and newcomers alike. Both worthy sequel and standalone crime thriller, it’s a welcome return for one of TV’s most interesting figures.
Luther: The Fallen Sun is out now in UK cinemas and releases on March 10th on Netflix.
