Movie review
February 24, 2023 · 129 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Luther: The Fallen Sun.
Woke representation / casting
Idris Elba leads as the long-established Black detective; Cynthia Erivo plays a competent senior police officer in modern London. Casting follows story and setting needs without marketing emphasis on identity, quotas, or mismatched competence signaling.
Woke political dialogue
Dialogue stays on crime investigation, blackmail, moral gray areas, and personal pursuit; no activist speeches, identity arguments, or social-justice framing.
Identity-driven story themes
Core story centers on a serial killer’s blackmail empire, gruesome crimes, and Luther’s rogue mission for justice and redemption; no race, gender, sexuality, or identity plotlines or messaging.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Shows police rule-breaking and a wealthy killer exploiting elite connections; these follow standard thriller tropes without reframing into modern critiques of patriarchy, systemic issues, or cultural institutions through activist lens.
Review
The 2023 Netflix film Luther: The Fallen Sun continues the story of disgraced London detective John Luther. A brilliant but rule-breaking cop breaks out of prison to hunt a wealthy serial killer who blackmails victims and stages gruesome public murders across the city. The narrative drives on obsession, personal justice, and a high-stakes cat-and-mouse chase with graphic violence and thriller set pieces. No prominent identity themes, activist messaging, or representation-focused elements appear in the story, casting emphasis, or marketing.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. No identity or DEI-driven alterations to established characters, source material, or real figures; the single victim gender adjustment was a minor pre-production note tied to past audience feedback, not ideological canon shift.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Very limited online notes about the victim gender adjustment as sensitivity; no broad public complaints accusing the film of pushing woke, DEI, or identity politics content.
Creator track record context
Key team shows mild liberal or humanitarian leanings such as Democratic donations and anti-violence advocacy, but no recurring identity-driven, DEI, queer, or activist creative patterns across careers.
Production
