‘It’s hard to take seriously!’ Luther: The Fallen Sun is panned by critics ahead of Netflix release

Luther: The Fallen Sun has been panned by critics after the Netflix crime thriller was shown in select cinemas ahead of its streaming release.

Idris Elba‘s latest film has been met with a flurry of two-star reviews, with critics claiming the ‘preposterous’ picture is ‘jumbled’, ‘farfetched’ and ‘ridiculous’.

The film, which will arrive on the small screen on March 10, follows DCI John Luther (Idris) as he escapes from his maximum-security prison to capture a cyber psychopath and serial killer, played by Andy Serkis.

But Variety has slated the ‘hard to take seriously’ picture while Empire said the movie – based on the 2010s BBC series – felt ‘rather recycled’.

Brian Viner wrote in the Daily Mail: ‘It bombards us with an overload of everything, especially plot, with a psychotic villain played by Andy Serkis who seems to have arrived in modern-day London straight from the bowels of the Underworld.’ 

Uh-oh: Luther: The Fallen Sun has been panned by critics after the Netflix crime thriller was shown in select cinemas ahead of its streaming release 

The Guardian‘s review stated: ‘The serial-killer accessories feel hand-me-down; the Scandi noir touch is spurious and storylines in the movies about evil criminal plans to livestream snuff-porn are frankly always lame and implausible.’

The action-packed teaser begins with Luther fighting with fellow prisoners before breaking out.

Once he gets free and back in the city, it appears a women needs his help to get revenge on someone after doing something evil to her son.

His character is then heard saying: ‘I need to stop this man, I’m still a copper’, before being told by the armed forces if he doesn’t stand down they’ll ‘shoot him dead’. 

The film’s villain is then heard saying: ‘John, I looked you right in the eye because I was curious and I wanted to know if you’d see it in me. Because that is who you are isn’t it, the man who knows all about people like me.’

Tense scenes then show Luther with blood on his face after fighting, as he says: ‘He wants the world to think the bad dream has come true.’ 

Viewers then see Luther fighting the villain in a London underground station before being retrained by armed officers.

Disappointing: Idris Elba’s latest film has been met with a flurry of two-star reviews, with critics claiming the ‘preposterous’ picture is ‘jumbled’, ‘farfetched’ and ‘ridiculous’

Storyline: The film follows DCI John Luther (Idris) as he escapes from his maximum-security prison to capture a cyber psychopath and serial killer, played by Andy Serkis

It ends with a close up shot of Luther saying ‘Let the nightmare come, because I’m ready’. 

Speaking on Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain, Andy admitted he almost ‘did not consider’ doing the role of David Robey as it was ‘one of the darkest parts’ he has ever been offered’.

The Hollywood actor, 58, revealed that he wanted to take a shower when he first read the script as he began to understand the darkness of his character.

Speaking to Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, Andy started by saying: ‘It’s so well directed. For people who loved the TV series, this is on an elevated, bigger scale of that.’

He added: ‘When I first read the script I literally wanted to have a shower.

‘It was one of the darkest parts I’ve ever been offered and I did almost consider not doing it.

Oh no! But Variety has slated the ‘hard to take seriously’ picture while Empire said the movie – based on the 2010s BBC series – felt ‘rather recycled’

‘What’s brilliant about Neil Cross and the writing, is that he makes the villains in Luther about [us].

‘Very very real, and around the corner, under the bed – it’s in our lives. This one in particular, is about the horror that is the internet. The power of the internet and someone like David Robey, the character that I play, manipulates people using that.

‘He’s a master of surveillance, he’s used to manipulating people, he’s sort of an observer of people because he can’t connect with humanity and so he observes them… It’s very frightening and Neil Cross’ writing is brilliant at doing that.’

Andy went on further, adding: ‘What was exciting, [is that] I’ve played a number of dark characters before, and I just thought, is this what I want to do right now?

‘It was so current and so important as a debate about the internet, and how we’ve given our souls over to it really. 

‘How we’ve given our lives over to it and [how we’re happy] to know we’re being surveilled 24/7 through our laptop cameras, through our phones and David Robey my character, just knows how to use that.

‘The villain is us, we’ve accepted it.’

Finally, when asked if his new role has encouraged him to put down his phone, Andy confessed: ‘It hasn’t and that’s the thing, we’re all addicts, that’s the point! We’ve become slaves to them [phones].’ 

Luther: The Fallen Sun was released across UK cinemas on February 24 and will arrive on Netflix on March 10.

Confession: Andy recently admitted he almost ‘did not consider’ doing the role of David Robey as it was ‘one of the darkest parts’ he has ever been offered’