Few modern TV shows have been able to curate the cultural weight and identity of Peaky Blinders. It become more than a show. A mood. An attitude. A tone. It gave us Tommy 'Fooooucccckkkin' Shelby, one of the most iconic characters in recent TV history. It was sharp, electric, and raw with a visual style that felt like rock and roll on screen. It made those funny looking hats cool!

So naturally, when it was announced that the entire story arc would be wrapping up in a movie there were huge expectations. This is a beloved story of an even more beloved and iconic character, the end has to do him justice. But for me personally, from the moment it was announced, I had concerns. First: a Film to wrap up a great TV series. Has this ever worked out... ever? I can't think of a single case where this approach was taken and it wrapped up a long-standing TV series, really well in a 2 hour film. I remember Netflix did this with Sense 8 (a TV show I loved and will die on the hill for) and it was a disaster. Second concern: Netflix..... So yeah! Could it fall into that 'big budget, big IP, streaming slop' territory?

Unfortunately, those concerns were completely justified. This film doesn’t just fall short. It fundamentally misunderstands what made Peaky Blinders so damn iconic and epic the first place. 

Story & Themes

In this case the time available to the film-makers to tell the story and wrap it all up wasn't the problem, It’s the story itself.

The first half of the film is almost narratively empty. Scene after scene looks beautiful, but not much actually happens. There is no propulsion. No sense of rising tension. It feels far less like the continuation of Peaky Blinders, the epic TV show, and more like an art-house experiment using the same characters.

Then, once the film finally decides to move, everything becomes rushed. It genuinely feels like you’ve skipped a full middle act. Key developments happen too quickly, without proper setup or emotional weight. The structure feels broken. It’s like jumping from episode one of a season straight to episode five, without the connective tissue.

The introduction of mystical elements through characters like Kaulo completely derails the tone. Peaky Blinders has always flirted with spirituality and symbolism, but it has always remained grounded in reality. Here, it crosses into something that feels almost fantasy-driven, and it doesn’t fit the world at all.

Tommy Shelby’s arc, which should be the emotional backbone of the film, feels inconsistent. His behaviour in certain moments, especially around Kaulo, doesn’t align with the character we’ve spent years understanding. And when the story reaches its final act, the payoff simply isn’t there. Tommy’s death feels expected, but not earned. It lacks narrative logic and emotional impact.

Character & Performances

This is where the disappointment hits hardest, because the foundation was already so strong.

Cillian Murphy is still compelling as Tommy Shelby. Let's be honest, he can do no wrong. There are moments where you see glimpses of the character we know. The stillness, the control, the quiet intensity. But the writing lets him down. I understand Tommy is at a different place in his life at this stage of his story, but he no longer feels like the calculated, dangerous force he once was.

Barry Keoghan as Erasmus Shelby is one of the most frustrating elements of the film. The character is introduced as ruthless and unpredictable, someone willing to align with Nazis to achieve his goals. That setup is strong. But his motivations and decisions are completely inconsistent. He switches sides multiple times with no real justification. One moment he is ready to kill Ada, the next he backs down, then he helps Tommy, then turns again. It feels chaotic, not complex.

Rebecca Ferguson as Kaulo is perhaps the most out-of-place character in the entire film. The performance itself is...fine. But more so It’s the character. She feels like she belongs in a completely different genre. The mystical, almost witch-like presence clashes heavily with the grounded grudgy world of Peaky Blinders. And the way Tommy behaves around her feels completely out of character.

The absence of key characters from the original series is also noticeable. These were characters who were still kicking around and relevant by the end of the last season, yet their absence is barely explained. For a story that is supposed to conclude such a rich world, this lack of continuity feels careless.

Cinematography & Visual Storytelling

Use of Space and Environment

One thing that is undeniable is how deliberately the film uses space. Large portions of the film are staged in wide, open environments rather than the tighter, industrial interiors that defined much of the series.

Historically, Peaky Blinders thrived on compressed spaces. Factories, pubs, narrow streets, rooms filled with smoke. These environments created tension and intimacy. Characters were often boxed into frames, visually reinforcing power dynamics and confrontation.

In this film however, the approach shifts. We see more expansive landscapes, open fields, isolated structures, and environments that place characters within vast negative space. This has a very different psychological effect. Instead of tension, it creates distance. Instead of pressure, it creates detachment. This isn't a criticism. The expansive landscapes and empty spaces often with only Tommy in the frame do speak to his actual situation. He is alone. Literally. He has no one and wants no one.

From a filmmaking perspective, this is a conscious spatial decision. The blocking often positions characters as small figures within large frames, which can communicate loneliness or existential weight to us as the audience. That aligns more with art-house cinema than with the grounded crime intensity of the series.

The issue is not that this approach is wrong. It’s that it doesn’t align with what Peaky Blinders built its identity on. The environment no longer feels like something the characters are fighting against. It feels like something they are simply placed within.

Cameras and Lensing

This is where things start to feel indulgent. The film experiments heavily with lens choices. Extreme close-ups, unusual focal lengths, shallow depth of field. It often feels like the cinematographer is testing techniques rather than serving the story.

In the original series, the camera work always had purpose. It amplified intensity. It reinforced character dynamics. Here, it feels like style for the sake of style.

Aspect Ratio and Composition

The compositions are undeniably striking. There is a strong emphasis on symmetry, negative space, and visual balance. But again, it leans more toward art-house cinema than the kinetic energy that defined the series.

Lighting and Colour

The colour grading is rich and stylised. There are bold choices here, with strong contrasts and distinct palettes for different sequences. It looks incredible. But it doesn’t feel like Peaky Blinders. The show always had a gritty, industrial texture. This feels polished, almost too refined.

Consistency and Intent

This is the core issue. The cinematography is excellent in isolation, but it lacks alignment with the story and tone. It feels like a different film entirely. Beautiful, but misplaced.

Sound & Score

One of the defining features of Peaky Blinders has always been its use of music. The rock and roll energy. The electric guitars. The sense that the show is constantly moving forward with momentum.

That energy is SERIOUSLY  missing in this film - again, my reference of this film feeling more like an 'art house' experimental film.

The score feels more subdued, more experimental, and at times completely disconnected from the identity of the series. There are moments where it works, but overall it lacks the punch and attitude that made the original so distinctive.

Direction & Pacing

This is where the film completely loses its identity.

The pacing is fundamentally broken. The first half drags with minimal narrative progression. The second half rushes through key developments without giving them room to breathe. There is no balance. It feels like the middle part of a series' season was removed and we went from part 1 of the season to part 3 where part 1 took forever to end and nothing happened. While Part 3 was over before it really got started. What happened in the middle and why...Who knows. This is perhaps a big reason for why the motivation of certain characters just feels off.

The direction leans heavily into art-house sensibilities. Slow, lingering shots. Abstract visual choices. Minimal dialogue in places where intensity should be building. That approach can work, but it doesn’t work here because it clashes with what Peaky Blinders is supposed to be.

This world is not slow and meditative. It is sharp. Fast. Dangerous. It should feel like momentum at all times, even in its quieter moments. That balance is completely missing.

Emotional & Intellectual Impact

For a story that has built such deep emotional investment over multiple seasons, the lack of impact here is shocking and truly disappointing. I personally haven't walked away from this story arc with some real sense of closure. I feel more like Im just accepting that it is what it is. No emotional payoff that matches the journey we’ve been on with these characters, espeicaly Tommy. His.ending should have been devastating, or at the very least deeply meaningful. Instead, it was flat and 'for the sake of it'.

The film doesn’t leave you reflecting. It leaves you disappointed.

Closing Thoughts

This film is a clear example of what happens when style overtakes substance and when the film-makers lose sight of what made their story resonate with the audience in the first place.

The performances are let down by weak writing. The story lacks structure and payoff. The direction feels disconnected from the identity of the series. And while the cinematography is undeniably beautiful, it serves the wrong film.

This should have been a powerful, unforgettable conclusion to one of the best TV series of the last couple of decades. Instead, it feels like a misjudged experiment.

My Favourite Frames