“Peaky Blinders”

(Publicity photo for “Peaky Blinders” via Entertainment Outlook.)

I don’t like action movies, and science fiction doesn’t interest me, but give me a good gangster show, and I’m all in. Goodfellas is one of my favorite movies and “The Sopranos” will forever be in my heart. So when Ryan told me about “Peaky Blinders,” the new Netflix show about a post-World War I gang in Birmingham, England, I was excited to give it a try.  We binge-watched both seasons in record time and then decided to start it over again, because it’s worth watching twice. Or three times.

The show is rough and dirty, focusing on the poorest residents of Birmingham and the crime family that rules the town. It’s an interesting departure from my other favorite British shows, “Downton Abbey” and “Call the Midwife,” which are set around the same time period and in the near future.  “Peaky Blinders” often references Poplar Docks, the area of London where “Call the Midwife” is set. I actually visited Birmingham a few years ago when my sister was working there, and it’s fun to recognize landmarks mentioned on the show.

Beyond the setting, the story is gripping and addictive, as well as incredibly violent. It’s a good mix of “The Sopranos” and “Deadwood,” and the main character, Thomas Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, even brings a bit of Don Draper-style coolness to the screen.  Murphy’s eyes are so expressive that he barely needs actual dialogue, and as the leader of his brothers and the entire gang, he is smart and sadistic, in a really cool way.  He’s also tortured by his experiences in the recent war, and his internal struggles play out quietly while he maintains a cold facade for the members of the Peaky Blinders and his family.  There are moments when Thomas Shelby reveals his true feelings, but they are subtle and fleeting, making his character truly dynamic.

Sam Neill is absolutely disgusting as the Chief Inspector obsessed with stopping the Shelby clan, and his voice makes my skin crawl. That’s a testament to his ability as an actor, because he becomes a truly loathsome character as he treads deeper into the crime world of Birmingham. I don’t want to give away too much, but Murphy and Neill’s characters fight over more than the law.

“Peaky Blinders” is such a fun way to spend a cold December night, and I’m excited to see what happens in the third season.  Are you watching it?