Luther: The Fallen Sun

I'm getting closer and closer to my 800th review.

Those capsule reviews really helped. Here to help further is Luther: The Fallen Sun, a theatrical follow-up to the BBC series created by Neil Cross. The titular John Luther (Idris Elba) is a London DCI willing to get his hands dirty to apprehend truly heinous criminals. As depicted in the fifth season finale, and expanded here, Luther is finally arrested for his misconduct. 

Luther's arrest wasn't actually altruistic. His misconduct was leaked by David Robey (Andy Serkis), a depraved billionaire who runs a snuff film operation. He gleefully taunts Luther during his incarceration. Luther breaks out during a prison riot - with help from his police friends - and looks for Robey. New DCI Odette Raine (Cynthia Erivo) and Luther's old boss Mr. Schenk (Dermot Crowley) look for Luther. They'll have to hurry as Robey is about to livestream his biggest snuff event yet.

Elba is a charismatic antihero as Luther. I find him morally honest but ethically gray. Sure, there's the misconduct, but he's repulsed as he listens to Robey's first victim's last moments. We never doubt that he's on the right side or not after that. We stay invested in him even as the film drags its heels. Erivo is fine as Raine; she's great as a determined detective, and frustrating when she drops the ball. She drops the ball hardest when she prioritizes arresting Luther over subduing Robey, who has a man at knifepoint. But she keeps it when she fends off Robey's henchman at the climax.

Serkis as Robey is such a perfect hate sink. He lures his victims' parents to their bodies and sets the room on fire. The parents survive and he has the gall to befriend one. And he's just getting started. We almost sympathize with him when we see his disfigured wife, Georgette, but he rebuffs it by being abusive. He keeps us clamoring for his comeuppance and we're rewarded with a karmic climax. His overdone pompadour is initially distracting, but by the end, we're easily fixated on his vile villainy.

The film maybe overlong, but the set pieces work thanks to editor Justine Wright. A few memorable moments include the aforementioned riot and a mass suicide orchestrated by Robey. Robey abducting his first victim is also memorably creepy. Cinematographer Larry Smith renders nighttime London as an alluring nightmare, which is perfectly punctuated by Lorne Balfe's score. There's also some great production design, the best of which is with Robey's icy fortress. Overall, there's a great technical crew on the case here.

Luther: The Fallen Sun is a good introduction to the series. It's got some slow spots, but its 129 minutes are still thrilling, overall. Its great antihero and depraved villain make the whole affair worth it. You won't be lost if you go in blind. You can Netflix and chill with this one, though there may be a theater playing it near you. Whichever options are fine. The next film I'll get to is a real-life crime story. And I actually saw it before this film. That review is coming soon.