James Phelan takes to the streets in his review of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man follows a reclusive author whose procrastination and fear of the blank page is so profound that he will abandon his rural idyll, re-engage with estranged family, former comrades and old enemies. He will even lock horns with new foes in the shape of a secret force of Nazi invaders who have infiltrated England, because it is far easier and preferable than dealing with a crippling bout of writer’s block.
I jest, of course, but in truth, it is a pretty accurate summation of where we first encounter retired gangster Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy). In self-exile from a life of crime that has cost him a litany of loved ones, Tommy is a haunted figure struggling to achieve some catharsis and healing by pouring his soul into writing a confessional book. It is not going well…
Meanwhile, back in Birmingham, Tommy’s son Duke (Barry Keoghan) has kept the Peaky Blinders gang alive. However, the group’s behaviour in the aftermath of a devastating bomb drop on the city smacks of scavenging and profiteering. In fact, Duke’s dubious or entirely absent moral compass means he is even open to facilitating a Nazi scheme to implode the English economy with counterfeit currency.
Soon, those who believe that Duke might benefit from some serious parental oversight are beating a path to Tommy’s country manor. First his sister, and then a mystical soothsayer from his past, urges him to re-enter the fray. Students of screenwriting may raise a knowing smile as Tommy conforms to the patina-encrusted tropes of the reluctant hero’s journey, in particular in his refusal of the initial call to return to action. By my count, he turns it down not once. Not twice. But thrice…
Naturally, it is the pull of family that finally moves the dial for Tommy. Soon, he is suited and booted in true Peaky Blinders style. I was going to describe the themes at play here as Shakespearian, but maybe they hark back even further. As Tommy and Duke sink into the filth of swine, a literal wrestle for power begins; this is some accurately biblical stuff. Betrayal between fathers and sons. Inherited sin. Hell, I do not know every stanza of the good book, but even Tommy’s surrender to the temptation of Rebecca Ferguson’s fortune teller is probably covered in there somewhere. Is there a verse that prophesies that a man shall lay with the twin sister of a dead former lover?!
For a film that so sharply introduces a Nazi threat early doors, there is a studious aversion to resorting to cheap thrills or easy humour with this new enemy. Those expecting a simple face-off of Peaky Blinders versus the Nazis will doubtlessly be surprised by the movie-length wait for a full engagement. In its ruminative spirit, the film is more concerned with the repercussions of life-long violence as Tommy’s mental health regularly rotates to the fore. His scars saturate every frame of the film as he confronts loneliness, loss, trauma and guilt.
Personally, I found the pensive and mediative mood clouds the entertainment value occasionally. By the time some tomfoolery with a hand grenade rolls around, the levity is welcome. To butcher a popular Leonard Cohen lyric, ‘the craic is how the light gets in’.
Irish talent has enriched Peaky Blinders at every stage of its journey, in front of and behind the camera, and on the soundtrack. Does it need saying that Cillian Murphy excels as both a man of action and as a man of few words? His soulful occupancy of Tommy Shelby has always anchored the saga while paradoxically allowing the show to soar. Similarly, Barry Keoghan is a worthy inheritor in every sense. He brings presence and menace, while his silences somehow meld inscrutability and emotional openness.
Whether a disciple or an agnostic, this series’ influence on popular culture is undeniable. From fashion to its use of anachronistic music, to forging a visual style that has been cloned and copied elsewhere in period TV to the point of parody, this entertainment epic has broken new ground at every turn. It takes breaking into cinemas in its stride. Peaky Blinders has earned its big screen outing. It wants to earn your money too.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man screens in cinemas from 6th March and is available to stream 20th March2026 on Netflix.
