Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Reviews Reveal a Surprising Problem

Cillian Murphy is back on screen with his “Red Right Hand” in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. Now, as a fan of the franchise myself, it goes unsaid that I have been eagerly waiting for the release of this movie. However, there is historical evidence that whenever a franchise has shifted from being a show to a feature film, the results have often been disappointing. With the theatrical release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, the first reviews are out, and contrary to expectations, are mostly on the critical side, speaking about a rather surprising problem. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at what some major reviews say about it.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Shines at Being a Fan Service

While most reviews have raised questions about the quality of the movie in a broader sense, one thing they would all agree on is how good a fan service this flick is. If you are one of those people who live and breathe Peaky Blinders, this one is handcrafted for you.

Talking on this topic, Variety says in their review that Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is a ‘Dutiful’ fan service and would find most of its viewers in long-time fans of the show. Their post states-

“As such, it’s dutiful fan service, sure to satisfy legions of cultists cosplaying in tweed, but not unapproachable to viewers who aren’t entirely au fait with the show. “The Immortal Man” has an efficient, businesslike way with the story at hand, however silly it might be. And the film works its way toward a finale of more stoic pathos than might be expected from such a canny franchise extension.”

Reinforcing the above claims, Empire comments on the fan service nature of the film and says that such an attempt is a “Double-Edged Sword” since it could feel like an extra long episode not everyone can enjoy instead of a movie. They write-

” The Immortal Man never takes its eye off the Peaky faithful. But keeping the fans happy is a double-edged sword, as it can’t help but just feel like an extra-long episode rather than a standalone cinematic experience.”

The review by Deadline also points that the movie’s appeal will have its full affect on longtime fans of the show who have a connection with longtime characters but newcomers to Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man will not be able to feel the emotional depth of this movie. Their comments state-

“Fans of Steven Knight’s impeccably scripted show will find The Immortal Man familiar enough for comfort (Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand”, the show’s theme song, returns in a very subtle callback), but strangers won’t be too overwhelmed, either by backstory or the pre-existing relationships between so many established characters.” 

So, now that we have talked about the part which will undoubtebly make Peaky Blinder: The Immortal Man a monetary success, let’s talk about the cinematic aspect of the film which is a point of criticism for multiple reviews we have seen online.

The problem here is that while this movie operates heavily on fan-service, which usually works out, it does not do anything which would make one call this film a cinematic masterpiece which in my opinion, was expected of a show that has made so many people fall in love with it over time.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Is Rather Shaky on the Cinematic Front

While it is confirmed that Peaky Blinders : The Immortal Man willl hold up on the fan service front, it does not look good for the revival when it comes to cinematic quality. Sure, it does hold up to the aesthetic and vibes we have previously seen in the show but other than that, there is nothing new which will make the viewers feel an expected difference between the series and the TV Show.

This point was also highlighted by Empire in their review where they stated-

“The Immortal Man, then, feels less like a cinematic expansion than a new one-episode season. Despite its Nazi-plot premise and war-torn backdrop, there is no widening of scope, no great shift of perspective or aesthetic. We do meet a new generation of Peakies, fronted by Barry Keoghan as Tommy’s illegitimate eldest, Duke, and we’re revisiting Birmingham amid the budget-ramping fire and rubble of the Blitz. But most of the action takes place in the usual spots: the Garrison pub, the canal docks, the warehouses, the alleys, the smoky backrooms.”

So, Thomas Shelby’s return, even though not the best thing out there, is enough to keep the fans of Peaky Blinders happy and maybe, this was the primary intention of Netflix. Even if you are not into entertainment, it’s pretty obvious that Peaky Blinders: The Immortal man is more of a cash grab.

However, if you are a fan, consider it another limited-episode from the belived franchise. This movie opens up doors for further spinoffs so, let’s wait and see if something comes up in time or not.