Luther: O Cair da Noite

First off, the film: Unfortunately the first half felt very uninspired... I'd seen all of this a million times before... It may have worked with a director who was willing to take more risks.... That being said, the second half becomes much more intense and grand scale and I was fully immersed. Overall I'd give it a 7.5....

Buf thanks to Netflix, I'm dropping it to a 6 for its terrible theatrical release... There were random unrelated subtitles plastered on the screen and layered on top of each other... And thanks to that, when there was non English speaking going on, we had no idea what they were saying... When I complained to the theatre staff, they said it was Netflix and they had nothing to do with it... So really impressive, Netflix....

I loved the first television series of this gritty and challenging police drama. Sadly, now we have reached a nadir for this charismatic and unorthodox character. The story is so ridiculously far-fetched that it reminded me of something Mark Gatiss might have written for "Sherlock" before he watched "No Time To Die" (2021) and thought - nah! It all starts when youngster "Callum" is dragged away from his night-time cleaning job by a mysterious phone call. Next thing we know, "Luther" (Idris Elba) is at a crime scene with no sign of the boy but with a victim in her car that has been missing for ages. Enter the completely un-menacing "Robey" (Andy Serkis) and pretty soon our favourite policeman is incarcerated for a career of systematic rule-bending/breaking and this rather evil monster now proceeds to prove that evil can prevail - and on a fairly spectacular scale. This story is, frankly, preposterous and as the film lumbers along for over two ours I really struggled to remain engaged as it moved from suicide scenarios to far more brutal killings - but what, exactly, is motivating this man is anyone's guess. He appears to have acquired control over a vast network of technology and people to effect his dastardly plan but none of that even vaguely rings plausible. The last twenty minutes are just plain silly and overall, the writing is all rather poor: "They'll kill you John" - "I can live with that!" - not an hint of irony there, neither. This is a pretty shameless attempt to capitalise on a strong character made memorable by a charismatic actor and a series of solid stories. This film has thrown all of those under the snowplough.

Luther: The Fallen Sun is a solid film that delves into complex themes surrounding technology, humanity, and morality. However, while the film does a decent job of exploring these themes, it ultimately falls short in its execution.

Many of the themes explored in Luther have already been tackled more effectively by other films and TV shows. In particular, Black Mirror has done an excellent job of exploring similar themes surrounding technology and its impact on humanity.

Idris Elba is terrific in the role as always, and I'll always watch Andy Serkis, but can't help feel a little disappointed in this film.

Luther: The Fallen Sun is a Netflix film that serves as a continuation of the BBC series Luther, starring Idris Elba as John Luther, a brilliant but troubled detective who breaks out of prison to hunt down a serial killer. While fans of the show might be excited to see Elba reprise his iconic role, they will likely be let down by this film's lackluster plot, weak villain and wasted potential.

The film suffers from a lack of originality and suspense, as it recycles many elements from previous seasons of Luther, such as Luther's relationship with Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), his former partner Justin Ripley (Warren Brown) and his new ally Angela Rose (Cynthia Erivo). The serial killer, played by Andy Serkis, is a cartoonish and unconvincing antagonist who has a vague motive and an unrealistic plan. The film also fails to explore Luther's character development or moral dilemmas, instead relying on clichés and contrivances.

The only saving grace of this film is Idris Elba's performance, which is still charismatic and compelling despite the weak material. He manages to convey Luther's inner turmoil and determination with subtlety and intensity. However, even he cannot elevate this film above its mediocrity. Luther: The Fallen Sun is a disappointing return for one of TV's most complex and captivating detectives.

A man is controlling people using their most embarrassing secrets against them. He is also torturing and killing people for sport. DCI Luther is put on the case after the disappearance of one of his victims. This makes Luther a target of the sadist and results in Luther being sentenced to a prison term. However, just because he's in jail doesn't mean Luther isn't on the case.

Being a fan of the TV series I was eagerly awaiting this. I wasn't expecting this film to be as good as the series: most films based on series aren't. Moreover, the quality of the series was due to being able to meticulously build a plot, create engagement with the characters and create tension through developments - a film wouldn't have time enough to do that. So I wasn't too disappointed when this didn't live up to the quality of the series.

Instead of the usual Luther psychological tension and tight plot we have an unoriginal "cop has to save a case while on the run from the law" story. Add in some contrivances, some reasonably predictable plot developments, a cartoonish villain complete with about the fakest-looking hair ever and a reliance on style over substance at times and this is definitely not in the same league as the series.

Yet, despite all this, it's quite entertaining. Despite the 130-minute running time the film moves along at a brisk pace and is never dull. Initial plot setup is good, there are some surprises in the plot and the action scenes are great.

Idris Elba is great in the lead role, as expected, and while Dermot Crowley (as Martin Schenk) was irritating in the series, here he is okay. Cynthia Erivo puts in a solid performance as DCI Odette Raine. On the other hand, Andy Serkis (and his fake hair) is irritating as the villain.

Overall, not great but entertaining.