Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is the long-awaited continuation of the hugely popular BBC series, which ran from 2013 to 2022 and became one of the defining crime dramas of the past decade.
The original show followed the rise of Birmingham gangster Tommy Shelby (Cilian Murphy)and his family’s criminal empire in the aftermath of World War I. The film version is directed by Tom Harper, who also directed episodes of the early seasons of the series, and written by series creator Steven Knight. Once again led by Murphy, the film reunites several familiar faces from the show while introducing new characters to expand the Shelby saga onto a cinematic scale.
Set in Birmingham in 1940, against the looming shadow of World War II, the story finds Tommy Shelby pulled back from a self-imposed exile. Living in isolation in a vast, echoing stately home, he appears haunted, both literally and emotionally, by the ghosts of his past and the loved ones he has lost along the way.
Murphy plays Tommy with a weary, haunted intensity, portraying a man whose ambition has left him powerful but deeply alone. When new threats emerge that endanger both the Shelby family and the country itself, Tommy must return to the world he tried to abandon and decide whether to protect his legacy or destroy it.
Sophie Rundle returns as Ada Thorne, now a formidable Birmingha political figure in her own right, while Stephen Graham reprises his role as Hayden Stagg, a Liverpool docks worker with ties to the Shelbys. Familiar faces Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, and Ian Peck return as Charlie Strong, Johnny Dogs, and Curly, respectively, maintaining the show’s gritty foundation. Elsewhere, Rebecca Ferguson portrays the mysterious Kaulo and Tim Roth adding gravitas as Beckett, a calculating far-right agitator. However, the standout performance comes from Barry Keoghan as Erasmus “Duke” Shelby; as Tommy’s volatile and troubled son, he finds himself caught in a complicated Nazi plot against Britain.
One of the film’s biggest strengths is how well it works even if you have never seen the original series. Long-time fans will appreciate the emotional payoffs and references to past events, but the story is structured so that newcomers can follow Tommy’s journey without prior knowledge. The film carefully provides enough context while focusing on universal themes: regret, legacy, and the cost of power.
What makes The Immortal Man especially compelling is its portrayal of Tommy as a man finally forced to confront himself. Murphy brilliantly captures the quiet torment of a man surrounded by wealth but emotionally stranded in the past.
There are also new revelations about the Shelby legacy that deepen the story and reshape how we view Tommy’s actions. Combined with strong performances and a gripping wartime backdrop, the film is consistently engaging. Expect tension, surprises, and more than a little heartbreak.
