In this latest installment of Luther, we follow our avenging and rule-breaking anti-hero into the world of a horrible, hellishly cruel criminal pushing John Luther to the very edge. Of course, we the viewers know this usually does not end well for the criminal, yet a rollercoaster ride ensues with uncertain outcome nonetheless. It's a good ride, just not the best.
It is tempting to give Luther so much credit simply because of the brilliance of Idris Elba alone, which would both be deserved and accurate. But the truth is, it's the entire package of everything and everyone involved, with an extra shout out for the often almost alien music. It's the brooding vibe that made the series so memorable... but this time around, only up to a point. For a Luther story, it's unusually flawed.
That's because although well and viscerally played by Andy Serkis, our bad guy slipped way off my believability scale, in a plot that veered too far away from the 'avenger copper' vibe. It meant halfway through I started to have trouble with the suspension of disbelief and felt my attention slipping. The bad guy just felt way over the top.
If you are like me, you can never get enough of Elba's greatest character. The film is still worth it because of that alone, and has a well chosen final chord too. Just know before you start, this isn't Luther his best story.
It is tempting to give Luther so much credit simply because of the brilliance of Idris Elba alone, which would both be deserved and accurate. But the truth is, it's the entire package of everything and everyone involved, with an extra shout out for the often almost alien music. It's the brooding vibe that made the series so memorable... but this time around, only up to a point. For a Luther story, it's unusually flawed.
That's because although well and viscerally played by Andy Serkis, our bad guy slipped way off my believability scale, in a plot that veered too far away from the 'avenger copper' vibe. It meant halfway through I started to have trouble with the suspension of disbelief and felt my attention slipping. The bad guy just felt way over the top.
If you are like me, you can never get enough of Elba's greatest character. The film is still worth it because of that alone, and has a well chosen final chord too. Just know before you start, this isn't Luther his best story.