Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’.
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One particular belief that we all share in, is that what the majority of what other people think of us is meaningless, and that we care not what they have to say, and it makes sense as to why we all hold to this. After all, there are a great deal of everyday people that we interact with, that we have no real emotional attachment to, and if they have commentary on our lives and who we are and who we should be… who cares what they think? Because only the closest people to us should be the ones to influence us with their thoughts and observations, and we also hold to this edict… so we can function and go about our day without dealing with the horrors of doubt.
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But what is genuinely fascinating about this belief, is that it is something of a grand façade. Because despite what we say about that mantra, sometimes what those ‘lesser’ people say strikes a strong chord in our hearts and sticks with us, and sometimes we genuinely fear what people will think of us when we overstep our bounds or make a grand mistake. Which leaves us in a unique place, where we work to find balance between the worry and the blissful ignorance we seek, and that battle… seems to help and keeps the world turning. But it does leave one to wonder, what would happen to us if someone decided to exploit our worries about perception in a manner that was genuinely impactful and troublesome, and oddly enough, this is a concept that grabbed hold of writer Neil Cross. To the point where it inspired him to ponder upon that very question in the Netflix feature, Luther: The Fallen Sun.

A feat that this film accomplishes by putting Detective Chief Inspector John Luther in quite the compromised place. For somehow, his grey area activities are exposed to the world, and that leads to him losing his badge in disgrace and finding his way to prison. Wherein he comes to learn… that this was all part of a horrible plan by a man named David Robey. A tech whiz and rich man, that has an ugly secret that he wants to find acceptance within, and what better way to do that… than by exposing the ugly secrets of others. To level the playing field and expose the ugliness of humanity and of course, help him indulge in his sick desires to kill along the way. Which of course, Luther cannot stand for, and that prompts him to break out of jail… to square off against his most cunning and lethal opponent to date. 

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Which is… the perfect way to explore that question. Since dear David has made a point of learning everything he can about people, especially their tiny and uncomfortable secrets they don’t want exposed. All so he can enjoy power over them and well, this story lets us know that given the right circumstances… there’s a good chance some people would be putty in a man like David’s hands if it meant keeping an image pristine and keeping indiscretions out of the light. Which offers up some fascinating commentary on perception and what it means to us and how we find our own self-worth so that such matters don’t lead to emotional devastation, if by chance we find ourselves in a precarious place of worry about our standing.
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But while that alone could carry this film, since that is quite the unique leverage for a monster to keep over people… this is still a Luther story and in true Luther fashion, all the hallmarks of this great franchise are there. Such as John Luther’s tenacious temper when it comes to people not cooperating with him, and his ability to throw down and teach people a lesson in a street fight, and of course… his keen mind regarding how criminals and people operate. Not to mention, it really does feature his nastiest villain to date. For David is a true sociopath, one that is desperate to be liked and loved and uses that pain to inflict great pain upon others, all of which… brings forth one epic tale, one that also provides the viewer with a unique twist regarding John Luther’s long and winding and sometimes nefarious journey as well. 

Simply because, this is the story that asks John what kind of a man he wants to be and what he really wants to do in this life and that leads to a powerful arc for John. One that sets the stage for fascinating future adventures with him. As to whether or not those are sanctioned by forces of good or his own accord, we won’t spoil here, so you can enjoy his unique journey on your own, today. Because the best news of all is that Luther: The Fallen Sun is available on Netflix, now, and it is definitely a worthwhile watch. For this really is Luther’s most ambitious adventure to date, and it really does feature some fine commentary and some epic performances and of course… more of John Luther. A powerful character that we’ve all managed to find a way to connect to, courtesy of the fact that he is as flawed as the rest of us.

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