PEAKY BLINDERS: THE IMMORTAL MAN -- A Proper Conclusion to an Epic Series

Review by Steve Barton II

Before you dared to press the play button on this random series on Netflix years ago, did you have any idea what a “Peaky Blinder” was? They were a real gang of young, petty criminals who were often working class and wore dapper outfits and intimidated anyone who stood against them. Peaky Blinders began as a television series back in 2013 on the BBC in the UK, before finding distribution on Netflix and becoming a global phenomenon. Their slick haircuts and clean cut outfits became a short-lived fashion fad in the mid 2010s. The show-runner Steven Knight produced six seasons and decided to make the seventh season into a feature film epic finale. Does Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man fill the Tommy Shelby bullet holes that’ve been left in fan’s hearts?

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man picks up four years after we leave Tommy Shelby witness what’s left of his dear belongings go up in flames. The beginning of World War II is upon them and fascism is threatening to destroy Birmingham and the rest of England. In Tommy’s absence, his Gypsy son Duke (Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin) has taken head of the table for the Peaky Blinders and made them more brutal and cruel than ever. Now it’s up to Tommy to return to Birmingham and save what's left of his home and family from new and old evils.

One major thing this film does perfectly is capturing the exact essence and feeling of the show. Peaky Blinders has always had a cinematic look with its camera and how incredibly detailed the set designs and costumes are. They aged up certain locations like The Garrison just enough to still be recognizable, but times have changed. Another major factor to this film’s success is the incredible ensemble that was created for this epic conclusion. While many of the fan favorite characters have since passed on like Polly (Rest Easy, Helen McCrory) and countless others that haunt Tommy as ghosts, we still have Oppenheimer himself, Cillian Murphy completely embodying the lead role. Tommy is a man whose life has been riddled with loss and trauma around every corner, some due to his wicked actions. His main motivation in this film is mending some of those wounds and getting his son Duke on the right path. The additions of Barry Keoghan and Rebecca Ferguson (The Greatest Showman) elevate this film to even greater heights and may even bring some folks into the theater off their star power alone.

In the end, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is an incredible conclusion to this epic series! The finale of season six never felt like a proper ending, but this film gives Tommy and the Peaky Blinders a beautiful send-off and never overstayed its welcome, like many epic shows that came before. Due to it being a film rather than a new six episode season, some of the plot does move quicker than audiences would expect and it makes the wrap up feel a bit more abrupt and short. There are certainly a few characters that are missing from the film and ends of leaving a bit of a void for longtime fans, but the overall story still works. Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man gives fans exactly what they’ve been waiting for since 2022 and cements Peaky Blinders in the pantheon of incredible television. Go see this one on the biggest screen possible, by order of the Peaky Blinders!

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man comes to select theaters starting March 6th and then exclusively on Netflix starting March 20th! 

Rating: 4.5/5