Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can’t Get Enough
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3
Gangster, WWII, Crime, Saga, Grief, Complex Relationships
Peaky Blinders is arguably my favorite modern TV show of all time. I obsessed over the first two seasons, was mesmerized by the next three, and was inspired by how the directors combined so many genres together. This is a story that shows the impact of war on multiple generations of people and families. The trauma, the grief, the changes. But it is also about race class and crime. Tommy Shelby is fascinating and will live on. To me, the show is the epitome of the gangster genre.
I knew that the film would be different and probably would have flaws simply because a film just does not have the time that a show has. And this is a show that went for six very complex seasons, so… But I did know that the film would be a conclusion and so—by its very nature—it would probably leave me unsatisfied.
I was only a bit disappointed, but I still really enjoyed it. It is incredibly depressing. Relentlessly. I thought Tommy’s son was perfectly cast. He showed all the bitterness and confusion and lostness that Tommy’s son should have. But I would agree with many critics and fans that the movie feels rushed and/or ends too quickly. I disagree that the many main character’s deaths didn’t feel appropriate, though. To me, each death was fitting, albeit sad. Sometimes a cause of death is pitiful or unremarkable or undeserving or unexpected. Tommy’s last scheme was fun to watch and clever as always. And I think his farewell was dark and beautiful. Do I think it could have been better ended in a show? Maybe.
