Luther series one to five below spoilers below
There’s a lot of buzz about Luther: The Fallen Sun, the new Idris Elba-starring Netflix film, which is in selected cinemas now and will be be released on the streaming site later this week.
A spin-off of the hit BBC OneTV drama, the new film has been described by Netflix as an “epic continuation of the award-winning television saga, reimagined for film”.
The plot will continue to focus on detective chief inspector Luther who is initially locked up, while a serial killer is on the loose.
Those who didn’t watch the show’s 20 episodes (which spanned five seasons across nine long years), but want to see the film, now face a predicament. Do they go back and watch the entire series, or jump into the film knowing absolutely nothing about the cast and their histories?
Well, we can offer a third option: a recap of everything you need to know about the series. Plot, characters, what to expect and what you should know – here’s our guide to everything important to know about Luther, so you’re all caught up before watching the film.
Who is Luther?
John Luther is a chief inspector who works for the Serious Crime Unit. He’s a complicated character, often operating in a moral grey area. He has a rage within him which he struggles to control, which sometimes puts him in the centre of dangerous situations. But while he might come across as unapproachable and insensitive, it’s his passion for justice that drives him. He’s a talented detective which is why he gets given such a long lead.
Luther is passionate about his work, and like so many troubled policemen before him, struggles to be present in his personal life. His estranged wife Zoe (Indira Varma), fell victim to his impossible work life balance (and increasingly violent temperament) and has, when we meet them, moved on with a new boyfriend, Mark (Paul McGann). Luther is still madly and passionately in love with her, but while this is evident, we can also sympathise with Zoe and understand her need to be with someone who can give her the attention she needs.
Speaking to The Scotman about playing Luther, Elba said: “Luther is very hard to play, and hard to be in. It’s a very dark show and it isn’t easy but it’s part of my job. I always go to Luther when I’m at my grumpiest... I use Luther as a therapy session because there’s a lot of screaming and shouting. ‘That was really good acting’, people will say, but I wasn’t acting, I was really angry. It is definitely therapy for me.”
What’s the lowdown?
Basically, the show involves tonnes of serial killers (in the first season, there’s almost a new one every episode), lots of pretty grim storylines that involve murder, violence and threatening behaviour, and Luther is in trouble – either with the criminals he pursues, his family, or with his colleagues – from the very beginning of the series.
But, the British public absolutely loved it. Viewership kept on growing season by season, and 9.45 million people tuned in to watch the final series, which was released in 2019 – more than the recent finale of BBC One’s Happy Valley.
Although Elba has had roles in over fifty films, it was Luther which really made him a household name in Britain.
Are any of the characters being carried over to the film?
Yes. As well as Luther, DSU Martin Schenk (Dermot Crowley), Luther’s old boss, will feature in the film.
Then, there’s a brand new cast that includes Cynthia Erivo, playing agent Odette Raine, Andy Serkis playing tech billionaire David Robey, and Jess Liaudin, Lauryn Ajufo, Natasha Patel and Henry Hereford in undisclosed roles.
What do we know about the new plot?
The film picks up at the end of series five and Luther is behind bars. But there’s a serial killer on the loose so Luther, ever the justice-warrior, breaks out of prison to try and catch him. “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 to Netflix.
“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.”
Jamie Payne, who also directed Luther series five, said: “Luther’s an unstoppable force... 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.”
The most important plotlines from the series that you need to know
When Elba talks about an old case creeping back into Luther’s life, this really doesn’t narrow things down – each episode of the series is jam-packed full of criminals and drama. But there are nevertheless some key plotlines and characters to make a note of.
Zoe
One of the key storylines revolves around Luther’s wife, Zoe. Towards the end of season one, an art dealer’s wife is taken hostage in exchange for some diamonds. Things turn from bad to worse when Luther finds out that DCI Ian Reed (Steven Mackintosh), one of Luther’s colleagues, is involved in the plot.
Reed ends up killing Luther’s wife Zoe and framing Luther for it. The first series ends with Luther running from the police who are split over whether to believe Reed or Luther about what has happened. Luther seeks revenge for his wife.
Alice
As season one opens, Luther is returning to work after having had a nervous breakdown. As soon as he’s back, he proves his skills by seeming to solve a double murder: the daughter of the murdered couple, Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson) has been acting particularly strangely, which rings Luther’s alarm bells. But despite his best efforts, Luther isn’t able to prove that she’s guilty.
Over the course of the series Alice and Luther form a strange relationship. What starts out as a detective/criminal relationship develops into something along the lines of allies and confidants (with an undeniable sexual tension). Alice becomes obsessed with Luther and independently starts killing people or hurting people who stand against him in order to win his approval. For example, she gets a gang to beat up Zoe’s new boyfriend Mark, and she also kills serial killer Henry Madsen (Anton Saunders) who has just woken up from a coma in hospital.
Alice pops up again in seasons three and five, each time appearing at the perfect point to back up Luther. In season three it’s when Luther has been, once again, framed for the murder – this time it’s colleague DS Ripley. In season five she returns to try and harm George Cornelius, an old enemy of Luther’s.
At the end of season five Alice and Luther have a fatal tussle: Alice turns on Luther and tries to shoot him and he accidently pushes her off a ledge. He manages to grab her just before she falls, but she cuts his hand, choosing to fall to her death.
What does the trailer tell us?
The trailer, which was released two weeks ago, has already racked up a whopping 7.65 million views.
“Luther was one of the best crime dramas EVER. I hope this movie is as good as the series,” comments one fan on the video.
“I can’t wait for this movie! The series was amazing so I know this will be good,” says another.
The two-minute trailer shows us exactly what we already know: that none of the old characters are going to be returning, and that it’s going to be one heart-pumping ride.
It shows Luther breaking out of prison, a meeting between DSU Martin Schenk and Cynthia Erivo‘s character Odette Raine, some incredible vistas of London, and back to back action scenes.
“Haunted by a killer,” says the trailer. “Hunted by his own.”
Why is the Luther film being released by Netflix and not the BBC?
According to The Telegraph, Luther moved over to Netflix because of the BBC’s “comically small” budgets.
Writer Neil Cross said: “What we’ve been able to do - having delivered every episode of Luther on budgets which are comically small - is to have a wider canvas and a bigger budget to tell the kind of stories that we’ve always wanted to be able to tell.”
Elba said: “I don’t want to be controversial but people imagine me as Bond and that’s great, but I can’t wait for them to see me as Luther in this movie. Our ambition is to take it there.”
