Title: Peaky Blinders
Created by: Steven Knight
Written by: Steven Knight
Directed by: Otto Bathurst, Tom Harper, and Colm McCarthy
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, Helen McCrory, Annabelle Wallis, Paul Anderson, Iddo Goldberg, Sophie Rundle, Joe Cole, Ned Dennehy, Tom Hardy, Charlotte Riley, Noah Taylor, and Aimee-Ffion Edwards
Genre: historical fiction, British TV Drama
Warning: This show is violent.
Summary: Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) is the charismatic leader of a Birmingham, England crime organization known for its distinctive and lethal razor-brimmed caps. As the ambitious, deadly Tommy leads his crew to ever-greater success after World War I, they come to the attention of a chief inspector (Sam Neill) who is sent from Belfast to rid the city of its criminals. Annabelle Wallis costars in this period thriller from the writer-director of “Locke.”
Here’s the Wikipedia entry on the Peaky Blinders — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaky_Blinders — Yep, they were were a real criminal gang based in Birmingham, England. And because they were so notable and interesting, a show, aptly named “Peaky Blinders,” was created about them — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaky_Blinders_(TV_series) — that currently has two completed seasons (12 episodes) and is waiting for a third.
Link: Peaky Blinders on Netflix.
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I avoided this show because I’ve found that crime dramas usually draw me in before attempting to tear my heart out emotionally and I didn’t think I could handle another show like that. But finally I gave in to Netflix’s constant recommending, and I’m glad that I did.
Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby sucked me right into the story of a crime family expanding its hold over the city of Birmingham. Starting out as small-potatoes, due to Tom’s cleverness and planning, the Shelby family and the Peaky Blinders become a power to be reckoned with. And in the meantime they amass their share of enemies, starting with Sam Neill as the terrifying Chief Inspector Chester Campbell who has been sent to Birmingham in search of stolen guns.
This show has romance, action, and drama. I consumed all twelve episodes in one marathon burst, and there wasn’t a single moment of story-lag. Seriously, everything came together in one perfect story, and I can’t wait for the third part — I just hope that it holds up to seasons one and two.
