At 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man proves that not all beloved TV shows should make the leap to film—but some absolutely should.
Cillian Murphy returns as Tommy Shelby, the brooding Birmingham gangster who defined prestige television for six seasons. The film picks up during World War II, pairing Murphy with Barry Keoghan in what reviews describe as a "moving match-up" between two of Ireland's finest actors. If you're going to close out Tommy Shelby's saga, that's the way to do it.
Creator Steven Knight and director Tom Harper haven't reinvented the formula—this is pure Peaky Blinders: slow-motion violence, anachronistic rock soundtrack, impeccably tailored waistcoats, and Murphy's thousand-yard stare. Variety calls it "a handsome reminder of what always felt quite cinematic about the series," which is diplomatic criticism for "this is exactly what you expected."
But sometimes exactly what you expected is exactly what you want. The Immortal Man serves the same function El Camino did for Breaking Bad—not essential viewing, but a respectful epilogue for fans who aren't ready to say goodbye. The 61 Metacritic score suggests critics are more divided than audiences, which tracks. This is fan service executed with style and substance.
Murphy and Keoghan elevate material that could have been perfunctory. Both understand that Tommy Shelby works because plays him as a man haunted by violence rather than empowered by it. , fresh off his unsettling turn in , matches him scene for scene.
