While not a convincing audition for James Bond – a role Elba has denied rumors of – The Fallen Sun presents a convincing argument for casting him as Batman. The film portrays a neo-noir London drenched in perpetual rain, with a far sleazier Soho than in real life. Director Jamie Payne has created a cinematic experience with a capital "c," a far cry from the show's humble beginnings in 2010.
The villain, David Robey (played by Serkis), resembles the Riddler from the Batman comics, with malevolent tech genius tendencies and a mop of blonde hair reminiscent of Siegfried and Roy. He murders in a manner that would make the Se7en killer proud and views his crime scenes through a smiling digital mask. He uses an army of hackers to spy on individuals via their webcams and Alexa devices, then blackmails them with their dirty secrets. Robey is outraged by perceived hypocrisy, which permits cruelty and violence to dominate some spaces but not others.
Despite the comic-book feel of the film, it never quite tackles the question of whether Luther's vigilante approach to police work is appropriate. Neil Cross, the creator of the show and writer of the film, avoids the implication's story, which might have resulted in the end of Luther for good. However, the film's biggest draw is Elba, who excels at portraying men who have lost everything and are frustrated to discover that they are still expected to carry on as before. Despite being arrested for his law-breaking tactics at the end of the fifth series, Luther stages a dramatic prison escape in the film. With the weariness of someone swatting flies, Elba fights his way through waves of fellow prisoners, while Dermot Crowley's returning DSU Martin Schenk and Erivo's counterintelligence operative Odette Raine provide much-needed counterbalance as sensible individuals with a begrudging respect for Luther's determination.
Rating: 8/10
