LUTHER: THE FALLEN SUN
Starring: Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis, and Dermot Crowley
Director: Jamie Payne
DARRYL
While not as strong as the series it stems from, The Fallen Sun is enjoyable for what it is: a feature length crime thriller spearheaded by everyone's favorite rogue criminal inspector. Idris Elba continues to be brilliant in his portrayal of the long-suffering protagonist, showing Luther as a weary ex-cop weathered by past decisions while doggedly pursuing his man. Although he has been better in recent roles, Andy Serkis (and his ridiculous wig) is serviceable as the weakly written antagonist. The story crumbles in the third act, but The Fallen Sun still holds up enough to be a decent weekday watch.
QUENTIN
As a fan of Luther, The Fallen Sun scratched my itch for more gruff crime-solving from Idris Elba and his trademark overcoat. However, as a standalone movie, it’s nothing particularly special, coming in slightly better than serviceable-yet-forgettable 2000s crime thrillers like Along Came a Spider and Taking Lives. I guess it feels bigger and more “professional” than the show, but it doesn’t quite feel cinematic either. Still, the acting is solid (despite whatever Andy Serkis’ wig is doing), the cat-and-mouse games are just compelling enough to hold viewers’ interest, and best of all, you don’t need to have seen the show to enjoy the movie.
