Nearly four years after the season finale, the Shelby family has returned to the big screen! ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’ hit theaters on March 6. It will be available on Netflix starting March 20. Returning characters from the franchise include Sophie Rundle (Ada), Cillian Murphy (Tommy), and Packy Lee (Johnny Dogs). Most notably, Barry Keoghan is in the plot as Thomas Shelby’s oldest son, Duke Shelby. Set years after the drama infamously ended, Duke is the leader of the Peaky Blinders. As WWII begins to show its force in England, viewers watch as the Peaks are pulled into an international scheme. In fact, the plot may be too big for the once-powerful gang to handle.
Spoilers ahead!
What Happens in London, Stays in London
As the movie went on, Keoghan became increasingly irritating to watch. The actor, known for playing the “vulnerable outsider,” remains on the perimeter of the Shelbys’ inner circle for most of the film. However, it’s this same vulnerable nature that ultimately leads to his unfortunate and arguably overdue demise. Despite his efforts to grow the authority of the Peaky Blinders, Duke’s alliance with the Fascist party fails. He shows he is unable to continue once his relationship with his estranged family is under threat. The grand scheme conjured by the Fascist party never leaves the London warehouse.
In the end, it’s frustrating that the strategic and cunning narrative of Thomas Shelby, a famously ruthless gangster, meets its match at the hands of an immature son. The series is memorable for its ruthless ambition. Now the fate of the Peaky Blinders is with an unfamiliar (and unsettling!) character. We have only seen this character tear down the Shelby empire with his own power-hungry mistakes. The franchise now has a horrid opportunity to tarnish the memory of Thomas Shelby further…
Unresolved Daddy Issues
It’s safe to say that the lasting effects of childhood trauma have a real chokehold on the fate of England!
Guy Lodge, a writer for Variety magazine, shares an uncanny opinion on the film. He writes that, “Murphy’s great gift as an actor is a quiet-storm stillness and sternness that lends some sense of psychological consequence to an essentially ludicrous caper.” The character of Duke Shelby is an “unscrupulous loose cannon who isn’t picky about his allies.” The two, combined, have made for an unsatisfactory ending to the film. It’s safe to say many fans wanted to keep seeing the Peaky Blinders crew wreak calculated havoc, respectfully.
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