If there’s one genre Netflix knows will be a hit on its platform, it’s crime drama. Many of the best TV shows are crime related, be it fictional enemies or true crime horrors.
The latest movie is a psychological crime drama with a twist – and it’s proving to be a massive worldwide hit for Netflix. Luther: Fallen Sun is a spin-off of the incredibly successful BBC crime series that last aired in 2019.
Created by Neil Cross, Luther focuses on an East London detective who uses all possible means – mainly violence – to catch criminals.
The show is quite terrifying in places, with Luther being part of the Serious Crime Unit trying to catch psychopaths and serial killers. And the character is brought to life by Idris Elba, who is fantastic as the no-nonsense detective.
If you’ve seen the series – which aired in the UK on the BBC, in the US on BBC America and ABC in Australia – then you know the show has a very final ending.
This has been reversed somewhat for the film, where Luther tries to track down a serial killer while being disgraced by the police he worked for.
Fans of the show know exactly what to expect from the movie: It’s dark, disturbing, and downright scary in places.
Idris Elba is joined by Cynthia Erivo (The Outsider) and Andy Serkis (LOTR) for the film, with Dermot Crowley returning as Luther’s retired boss. Neil Cross, creator of Luther, also penned this big screen adaptation.
Critical reception for Luther: Fallen Sun was not as favorable as for the show. Rotten Tomatoes has the Luther series at a peak of 88%, and the ratings match that. For Fallen Sun this has been reduced to 65% (critics) but the viewing figures are still high: 85%.
It’s the audience that matters, though, and Netflix executives will be smiling this week as the reception for Luther: Fallen Sun has been huge.
Of the 90 countries that FlixPatrol measures for Netflix traffic, Luther: Fallen Sun ranks number one in 88 of those countries. That’s right, there are only two – as of March 14 – that don’t have Luther: Fallen Sun at the top of their charts.
Those countries are: South Korea (Men of Plastic is at the top here) and Japan (Top Gun: Maverick is at the top of that list in that country).
It’s extremely impressive and should mean we’ll see huge numbers on Netflix’s official charts when they next update.
The top 10 for Netflix movies worldwide right now are as follows:
- 1. Luther: The Fallen Sun
- 2. Far away
- 3. We have a ghost
- 4. Love at the first kiss
- 5. Bad Boys For Life
- 6. PAW Patrol: The Movie
- 7. The constant gardener
- 8. Tears of the Sun
- 9.F9
- 10. The Eternal Purification
Main image credit: Netflix