Luther: The Fallen Sun

Idris Elba is back in his signature tweed for an epic new movie.

Luther The Fallen Sun opened in cinemas on 24 February and premiered on Netflix on 10 March 2023.

In the movie – an epic continuation of the award-winning television saga reimagined for film – a gruesome serial killer is terrorizing London while brilliant but disgraced detective John Luther (Idris Elba) sits behind bars. Haunted by his failure to capture the cyber psychopath who now taunts him, Luther decides to break out of prison to finish the job by any means necessary.

From Netflix:

Directed by Jamie Payne with a script by creator Neil Cross, the new movie builds on and reimagines the award winning series, throwing Luther and his colleagues into a bigger, bolder game of cat and mouse. “I really wanted to amplify what we’ve done with the television show,” Elba told Netflix about returning to the role he played over five seasons for an action-packed, stand-alone film. 

Luther: The Fallen Sun kicks off with Luther behind bars after crossing a line in his pursuit of justice. “He’s done so much to bend the law in order to catch the bad guys that he’s ended up in jail,” Elba said. “That’s where we start the story. This old case that didn’t really ever get solved creeps up back into his life. And John can’t help but find a way to get involved. This bad guy is out there and he has to go out and get him.”

Payne, who also directed the series’ fifth season, added that the movie introduces a new take on the beloved character, dropping him into a situation he’s never been in before. “Luther’s an unstoppable force,” he said. “But up to this point, he’s had to tread around the law of the police, because that was his job. Now, he’s a fugitive. This is Luther untethered. This man is so forward in his thinking and is in action. He’s like a wrecking ball, but the smartest wrecking ball you’ve ever met in your life.”

Elba reprises his role as Luther, now in prison and tormented by a serial killer on the loose. The film also stars Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis and Dermot Crowley, who returns as Martin Schenk.