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First I have a confession. Actually let’s call it an admission. No, it’s probably just context. 

Okay look, I’ve never watched any of the Peaky Blinders TV show. Yes, I’ve heard it’s great but I don’t watch a lot of telly, especially, as I’ve said before, if it doesn’t have robots in it. (You’ve got to look for the robots in The West Wing* and Ted Lasso**, but I promise you they are there.)

This does mean I am a position to answer the most important question though; does this hold up if you are not already a fan? If you love this show then clearly you are going to want to catch this but if not then don’t worry, I’ve got you.

The answer is yes. I really enjoyed this and I definitely recommend it. It has fewer set pieces than other movies of its type and there are clearly key moments that will play bigger to true devotees but it is a stylish, entertaining and nicely character driven period crime thriller. Even I got goosebumps when Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby came out of self imposed isolation, suited up and strode through 1940s Birmingham, immaculate wool trench coat and Baker Boy cap in place. I’ve seen enough of the publicity to appreciate this iconography. (I understand said headwear is now actually known as a Peaky Blinders hat.) I did find the bit on a horse a bit much though, which I suspect I might not have done if this wasn’t my first rodeo. There is one early death of an established character that still hit home as well. The strong elements of mysticism surprised me, I had not appreciated that this was already a part of this story but I was able to go with it. 

The story revolves around a Nazi plot to destabilise Britain and win the war, starting of course in the West Midlands, as you would. I guess it’s central. Initially Tommy’s son is mixed up in this and Dad has to come and sort him and the country out at the same time. Barry Keoghan plays Shelby junior reuniting him with Murphy and even creating some interesting moments of symmetry with Dunkirk which was their first film together. Tim Roth is the bad guy and to continue the cinematic intertextuality I couldn’t help but smile when he shot someone in the stomach because no one knows the consequences of that type of wound more than him. 

I’ve not told you much here then because I enjoyed going in blind and wish the same for you. 

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is in cinemas and on Netflix now.

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*There is actually a whole episode named after a robotic device in The West Wing – Season 2, Episode 9, Galileo. 

**Roy Kent is a robot, haven’t you heard?