Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

The opening of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is superb—informative, unsettling, and instantly immersive. It drops the viewer into 1940s England as Nazi bombs fall and counterfeit currency floods the economy, establishing a tense backdrop that shapes everything that follows.

Once a small-time Birmingham gang, the Peaky Blinders are now led by Duke (Barry Keoghan), the estranged son of the founder of the gang Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy). With Tommy withdrawn at home, consumed by grief and WWI‑era PTSD, Duke drifts into treasonous territory by aligning with the Germans. His choices deepen the rift between father and son, giving the film its central emotional and moral conflict.

Tommy (Cillian Murphy) and Duke (Barry Keoghan) (© 2026 BBC Film − All right reserved.

Loss and grief haunts both men — Tommy by the death of his brother Arthur, and Duke by the death of his mother, Zelda. Their grief takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of Kaulo (Rebecca Ferguson), Zelda’s twin sister, whose séance‑derived revelations begin to reopen lines of trust within the fractured family. The mystical thread is handled lightly, adding mystery without overwhelming the grounded wartime drama.

Rebecca Ferguson as Kaulo and dead Zelda

The soundtrack, an unexpected blend of rock, punk, death metal, and bleak lyricism, fit the internal struggles of the main characters. It occasionally distracts when repetitive lyrics dominate, but more often it adds an off‑kilter energy that suits the film’s mood.

The pacing dips early on as Tommy wrestles with his psychological torment, and the film’s attempts at grit—most notably a muddy pig‑sty brawl between father and son—are sometimes undercut by sets and green‑screen work that look too polished for the grime they aim to evoke. Still, the period costuming and production design convincingly evoke middle‑class 1940s England, with canal boats adding a distinctive visual signature.

Cillian Murphy delivers a quietly devastating performance as a man hollowed by trauma yet inching toward renewal—work fully worthy of his 2024 Best Actor Oscar for Oppenheimer. Keoghan matches him with a volatile, wounded portrayal of a son trying to define himself in the shadow of a mythic father.

Despite occasional lags, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man succeeds as a moody, atmospheric espionage thriller. It extends the Peaky Blinders saga with wartime intrigue, and a compelling exploration of loyalty, legacy, and the bonds that refuse to break.

Published March 31, 2026