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After a lengthy four-year wait, fans can finally delve into Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. This film serves as a dramatic conclusion to the acclaimed six-season series that began captivating audiences in 2013. With its theatrical release preceding availability on Netflix, those familiar with the series will know that no character, not even Tommy Shelby, is truly immortal—so expect spoilers ahead.
A Brief History Of The Peaky Blinders
Set against the backdrop of Birmingham, England, between the two World Wars, Peaky Blinders follows the Shelby family’s rise from small-time criminals to influential figures within British high society. Tommy Shelby, portrayed by Cillian Murphy, leads the Peaky Blinders gang with a potent mix of ruthless ambition and personal torment, haunted by his past while navigating rival gangs and law enforcement. By the conclusion of Season 6, Tommy had relinquished control of his empire under the belief he was terminally ill with lung disease, only to discover it was a deception. In the film, we find him in the year 1940, secluded and penning his memoirs as the world spirals further into chaos.
A Shelby Family Obituary
Before diving deeper into the film’s plot, it’s worth acknowledging those lost along the way. While Tommy often manages to elude death, his family hasn’t been as fortunate. His first wife, Grace Shelby (played by Annabelle Wallis), tragically died in Season 3, and brother John Shelby (Joe Cole) met a violent end confronting Adrien Brody’s character in Season 4. The real-life passing of actress Helen McCrory resulted in the off-screen death of matriarch Polly Gray between Seasons 5 and 6, while her son, Michael Gray (Finn Cole), was killed in the Season 6 finale. Even the young were not spared, as Tommy’s daughter, Ruby (Orla McDonagh), also died in Season 6.
Note on cultural themes: Tommy Shelby, being of part-Gypsy heritage, often experiences visits from his deceased loved ones, blurring the lines between the living and the dead.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Plot Points
The film’s narrative revolves around a Nazi plot to destabilize the British economy using counterfeit currency. Tommy emerges from his drug-induced stupor following an attack on a Birmingham munitions plant and the emergence of an English “fifth column” led by John Beckett (Tim Roth). During Tommy’s absence, his “gypsy son” Duke Shelby (Barry Keoghan) has been causing chaos, aligning with the Nazis, and stirring unrest throughout the city.
The Big Reveals: Bye Bye Arthur and Ada
Wildcard brother Arthur Shelby’s death occurs before the events of the film. We learn Tommy killed him, claiming it was an act of mercy meant to spare him from his spiral into madness and addiction (not for nothing, it’s the same justification Tony used to kill Christopher on The Sopranos, so writer Steven Knight might owe David Chase a check). It’s a particularly cruel twist considering actor Paul Anderson’s recent battle with addiction.
The film also kills off younger Shelby sister Ada Thorne (Sophie Rundle). Now filling Tommy’s seat in Parliament, she’s murdered by Beckett while Duke looks on helplessly. Naturally, Tommy learns she’s dead by seeing her ghost. Haunted by his dead siblings, Tommy says, “All of us are dead except the one who wants to be dead.” Seeking peace, he turns to newfound love interest, Kaulo (Rebecca Ferguson), twin sister to Duke’s dead mother. Her solution? A bullet with Tommy’s name on it, which she hands to Duke.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Ending Explained: “I Am a Horse”
After beating some sense into Duke in the middle of a pigsty, Tommy decides to save the day. With help from union heavy Hayden Stagg (Stephen Graham), the Peaky Blinders send a couple barges of explosives into Beckett’s warehouse and blow a battalion of visiting Nazis sky high and destroy the counterfeit cash.
In a final shootout with Beckett, Tommy is mortally injured. As he collapses, he calls out, “I am a horse” (he said it before in Season 2). He tells Duke to put him down like a horse, a plea for mercy, the same he showed Arthur. Duke obliges his father’s wish, and in the words of his aunt Kaulo, the duke becomes a king.
ETHNIC STEREOTYPE ALERT #2: Being part-Irish Traveller, the Shelbys are horse crazy, and look to their equine friends for inspiration, companionship, and solace.
Throughout Peaky Blinders, Tommy Shelby has battled death. When it finally arrives, it’s an act of redemption and sacrifice. Tommy sacrifices himself to save his city, his country, and his son, an act of contrition after a life of sin. Six seasons and 112 minutes in, the Shelby family as we knew them are all dead but the legend is immortal.
Where Does the Peaky Blinders Story Go From Here?
While Tommy Shelby may have finally found peace, the Peaky Blinders franchise is in a state of flux. A new spin-off series is currently in production, which is set in 1953 amidst Birmingham’s post-war reconstruction. The show will be written by Steven Knight with Cillian Murphy executive producing. There’s no word on which characters will return or who will play them but with Duke Shelby leading the Peaky Blinders, his half-brother Charles Shelby returning from World War II, and disgraced uncle Finn Shelby lurking somewhere in the shadows, there’s plenty of room for drama.
Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician.