9/10
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is the conclusion to the award-winning Netflix series, Peaky Blinders. It follows the return of mob king Thomas “Tommy” Shelby and his relationship with his troubled son, Duke Shelby. Tommy’s sister, Ada Shelby, and Nazi antagonist John Beckett also play major roles.
Even though the pacing starts a bit slow, the superb acting provides the film with intense emotional complexities, cinematic foreshadowing, moral dissections, and ultimately, a devastating (but necessary) character change and tragic finale make Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man an entertaining watch.
The film continues the story of Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) during World War II, as he decides to step out of the criminal world after the death of his brother and daughter. After his son Duke Shelby (Barry Keoghan) takes control of his gang, the Peaky Blinders, he’s manipulated by John Beckett (Tim Roth) to help the Nazis, which forces Tommy to come back to save his son. As the film continues, Tommy and Duke find themselves at odds, with their differing loyalties testing familial ties.
First off, Murphy’s acting is impeccable. He can seamlessly illustrate his character’s development. He starts as a solitary, guilt-ridden man haunted by his past, and develops into one who is eventually peaceful, tying up his loose ends once and for all. Murphy creates a cinematic suspense that feels unpredictable, leaving everyone waiting for the great gangster’s next strategic move.
Tommy’s daunting past also brings heartbreak. With horrific memories constantly haunting him, Murphy provides a fear-filled emotional roller coaster, complete with a tear-jerking thousand-yard stare.
Keoghan’s acting is also on point. As the new leader of the Peaky Blinders, he is portrayed as a short-fused, angry young man, perfectly demonstrating how past traumas shape a man. On the outside, Duke seems violent and remorseless, but internally, his boyhood negligence and abandonment by his parents have scared him.
Keoghan depicts this through aggressive outbursts, murder, and beating whoever triggers him in the slightest. But, he also shows us his inner child in more solemn scenes, highlighting desperate boyish body language or sitting alone in the pub, sulking silently, and staring off into the distance while losing himself in a bottle of alcohol.
Beckett, the film’s Nazi antagonist, is also played perfectly by industry legend Tim Roth. Roth can create a character whose morals are clearly set in the wrong direction. His complete lack of remorse and his clever manipulation of the Duke only add to his villain persona. There are moments where Beckett truly feels psychopathic. It’s chilling.
The Immortal Man’s writing feels very compressed. The film was originally supposed to be season 7 of the show, and it often feels as if they wanted to squeeze the entire scrapped season into an almost 2-hour runtime. However, there is still room for snappy dialogue and gloomy direction. The film really feels as if you’re in the gray rainy streets of Birmingham.
Although the beginning of the film runs slowly—with too much time spent on setting and unnecessary details—once it gets going, it really flies.
Where the film really succeeds in its depth, depicting a wide variety of emotional scenarios. From Tommy’s breakdown at the mortuary to Duke’s sulking in the bar, and Beckett’s murder of a traitor, heartbreak and grief come from each of the film’s leads.
The film also nails key foreshadowing. Tommy predicts the death of Ada—right after she passes, Tommy hallucinates her, dressed in all black from head to toe, staring at him whilst holding an umbrella over her head, as if mourning. Her eyes are lifeless, holding no light in them whatsoever, as if her corpse is idly staring Tommy down. It’s one of the film’s strongest images.
Ultimately, The Immortal Man emphasizes the importance of morality and shows this by examining the morals of several characters. Tommy’s step away from a criminal life and his initial unwillingness to help his son, driven by fear of reverting to his old ways, demonstrate his moral improvement compared to his past. But when he is left with no other choice, he confronts Duke, finding himself acting almost the same as his younger self. The difference is this time he has a new purpose—to save his son before it is too late. And ultimately, it’s that purpose that allows Tommy to find a new version of himself.
Duke initially finds himself slipping into the dark side until his father comes to his aid. It’s only once they are together that they can help each other heal. While Tommy gives Duke a chance to feel a true sense of stability, Duke gives his father a chance to be present again. Duke is able to come to peace with himself, mellowing and righting his moral compass. And yet, there’s Beckett, a prime example that some people simply never change. With the execution of brutal crimes without any remorse, Beckett illustrates the unwavering, cruel moralities of a psychopath to perfection.
The Immortal Man is a bittersweet story of survival. A story in which a man, drowning in guilt and grief, is tested once more before eventually finding the peace he sought. When it ends, all that’s left is a man. He used to be a king, but now, that title belongs to another generation.
