Luther, the BBC crime drama starring Idris Elba as a rule-adverse detective, was swiftly overtaken by cinematic ambition. What began as a relatively humble cop series set in a crime-ridden London became increasingly more absurd as it went on. By its fifth series, Luther was dealing with a killer in a clown mask shooting people full of nails. Luther: The Fallen Sun, a feature-length revival by Netflix, feels like an all-too-logical extension. The budget’s been upped considerably. Hollywood’s own Andy Serkis and Cynthia Erivo have been air-lifted in for support. And it’s fun, in the patently ridiculous way these sorts of zhuzhed-up thrillers tend to be.
The Fallen Sun isn’t much of a Bond audition for Elba – who’s had to shoot down rumours he’s the next 007 yet again this week – but it’s a solid argument for making him the next Batman. Here’s a neo-noir London soaked in perpetual rain, with a Soho far sleazier than in real life. There’s no sign of all the media professionals popping out for a quick Joe & The Juice. For director Jamie Payne, who was behind several episodes of the series, this is cinematic with a capital “c”. It’s the sort of stuff no one would have dreamed of for Luther back when it first aired in 2010.
