For those who only know Luther from Netflix, here's a little background. Luther was a hit crime show for the BBC (UK) that ran from 2010 to 2019.
With five seasons and 20 episodes, the show followed DCI John Luther (Idris Elba) as a no-nonsense detective, which made him both a great officer and one who was always on the verge of crossing the line. Actually, he crossed the line a lot but always in the interest of justice.
Anyway, it was one of the most-watched dramas on BBC, so you can only imagine how excited everybody was when Luther: The Fallen Sun was announced.
What Is Luther: The Fallen Sun About?
DCI John Luther is back, and this time he is searching for a missing teenager Callum Aldrich.
What he doesn't know is that Callum has been taken by a sadistic serial killer, David Robey, who has a whole team of people helping him. So with a couple of phone calls, Robey gathers every piece of dirt on John Luther and ensures he goes to prison for his crimes (incurred during the tv series).
When Callum's mother makes the shocking discovery of her son's remains, the case generates nationwide attention. But things ramp up when the killer contacts Luther in prison, taunting him with recordings of the murder.
Luther manages to break out, and so begins the cat-and-mouse hunt through London as Luther closes in on the killer.
All the while, DCI Odette Raine (Cynthia Erivo) is tasked with finding not only the killer but also disgraced detective John Luther.
Luther: The Fallen Sun Trailer
Is Luther: The Fallen Sun Worth Watching?
Here's the thing – I am one of those Luther mega fans and watched every episode of the award winning television saga when it aired. So while I will try and be objective here, a bit of bias might creep in…
I LOVED Luther: The Fallen Sun (oops there's that bias!). From the get-go, it was a superbly acted, tension-filled, action-packed crime drama.
The concept of using technology to spy on unsuspecting normal people and turn their indiscretions against them for blackmail may not be the most original concept, but it worked here.
And as always, Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, and Andy Serkis are at the top of their game. I should mention that Serkis as a serial killer is particularly creepy and sinister though it would be remiss of me not to mention the elephant in the room…
THAT WIG. What on earth were they thinking putting Serkis in that hideous wig? It turned him from a creep to a cartoon character and was so distracting that if I could have reached into the tv and taken it off his head myself, I would have!
If you can move past that, while the overall movie is a superb roller-coaster, there are other issues with it. How easily Luther got out of prison, how quickly he tracked down Robey, and why we never found out a single reason why anybody was being blackmailed – almost like it was incidental when in fact, it was the basis for the whole serial killer aspect of the film.
A lot was left hanging in the air, so the hope is that another Luther movie could be in the pipeline. Just no dodgy wigs this time, please!
Where Was Luther The Fallen Sun Filmed?
In August 2013, series creator Neil Cross mentioned the possibility of a film adaptation for the BBC series, stating that he had written a script for a prequel to the show.
Although there were no formal plans for another season of the show as of July 2020, Idris Elba expressed his desire to reprise his role as DCI John Luther in a film, which was said to be in the works.
In September 2021, the film was officially confirmed for release on Netflix, with Cynthia Erivo and Andy Serkis joining the cast alongside Elba.
On November 10, 2021, Elba announced that filming had commenced, with London and Lite Studios in Brussels, Belgium serving as filming locations.
An early fight scene between Luther and David was filmed at the abandoned Aldwych Tube Station.
The scenes towards the end of the movie were filmed in Iceland.
Cast Of Luther The Fallen Sun Movie
Idris Elba (Beasts Of No Nation) as John Luther, a brilliant but disgraced former Detective Chief Inspector
Cynthia Erivo (Chaos Walking) as DCI Odette Raine, the current head of the Serious and Serial Crime Unit
Dermot Crowley (The Wonder) as Martin Schenk, a retired Detective Superintendent and Luther's former boss
Andy Serkis (The Batman) as David Robey, a wealthy and psychopathic millionaire moonlighting as a gruesome serial killer
Thomas Coombes as DS Archie Woodward, Raines subordinate
Hattie Morahan as Corinne Aldrich, the mother of a Callum Aldrich, a victim of Robey
Lauryn Ajufo as Anya Raine, Odette Raine's teenage daughter
Vincent Regan as Dennis McCabe, Luther's criminal associate
Einar Kuusk as Arkady Kachimov, David Robey's right-hand man
Henry Hereford as Brian Lee, one of Robey's blackmail victims
