FILM REVIEEWS:
PEAKY BLINDERS: THE IMMORTAL MAN (UK 2026) ***
Directed by Tom Harper
Peaky Blinders is a British historical crime drama television series created by Steven Knight. Set in Birmingham, it follows the exploits of the Peaky Blinders crime gang in the direct aftermath of the First World War. The fictional gang is loosely based on a real urban youth gang active in the city from the 1880s to the 1920s. The series (lasting in total) features an ensemble cast, led by Cillian Murphy, starring as Tommy Shelby, Helen McCrory as Elizabeth "Polly" Grey, Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby, Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby, and Joe Cole as John Shelby, the group's senior members. Netflix acquired the rights to release the show in the United States and around the world. A feature-length film titled Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, which is set a few years after the series finale, is scheduled to be released on 6 March 2026. The film also opens two weeks later on the streaming service, Netflix.
The crime drama film is directed by Tom Harper and written by Steven Knight. It is a continuation of the British television series Peaky Blinders (2013–2022), and stars Cillian Murphy in the lead alongside an ensemble cast including Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, Ian Peck, and Stephen Graham, reprising their roles, alongside new additions Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Jay Lycurgo, and Barry Keoghan. The bad guy is played by Tim Roth, while Barry Keoghan generally steals the show.
The film is set in Birmingham in 1940. The film begins with the real-life historic bombing and the death of the entire night shift of 53 at the Birmingham small arms factory. Amidst the chaos of World War II, Tommy Shelby (Murphy) is driven back from a self-imposed exile to face his most destructive reckoning yet. Tom Shelby’s son, Erasmus (Keoghan), is up to no good with his gangster dealings, stealing the ammo to be sold to the Germans. At the same time, the Germans are planning to flood the U.K. and Europe with counterfeit currency brining down the banking system and might lead to Germany’s victory in the War. With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons and choose whether to confront his legacy or burn it to the ground. This he does, to save the country and to forge a palace in History.
Many would have followed the lengthy TV series. This film is a new version of the story set during World War II that also serves as a direct continuation of the TV series. As stated, Tommy Shelby is in a central role. The time is more urgent. Fascism in Britain (via Mosley and his Blackshirts) becomes more dangerous. Britain is on the brink of invasion. The Shelby family would be older, wealthier, and more politically entangled.
With more at stake in the film, the film is understandably more tense with more action, intrigue, and excitement. The action set pieces are laid out mainly at the end, with some artistic jumps in time and imaginings. These could have been left out for a more linear storytelling.
PEAKY BLINDERS opens on Netflix on the 20th.
