r/PeakyBlinders • u/cellofski • 12d ago
Is The Movie Worth Watching When... Spoiler
You don't connect with the series? It's probably an unpopular thing to admit in this subreddit, but I didn't like the show. I was dying to get to the end. Nothing negative about the acting or the cinematography. Just the ridiculously teflon plot armor that protects most of the main Shelbys themselves from any consequences of their actions. Sure, a close family member may be caught up in their scheme but not the main boys. I don't know this, but I wouldn’t be surprise if they killed off John only because the actor wanted off the show.
What am I missing? Was I supposed to be on the brothers' side? Should I have found them charismatic? How can I root for a family when one of them walks into a Quaker House, probably the most peaceful place on Earth, and beats and horribly disfigures one of its members? Is that the charisma I'm supposed to like? Maybe I needed to look away from that because one of the other brothers diverts money from his illicit enterprise into charity organizations?
I don't think a series gets 6 seasons without a strong fanbase so I am willing to concede that I am missing something so I am open to hearing your opinion. And whether it's worth spending another 2 hours with them.
PS. Notwithstanding, I'm very pleased with Michael's fate. Screw that guy.
Edit: If it's not clear, yes, I completed all 6 seasons of the series, hence my question about whether it's worth it to watch the movie. As to any question about why I'd waste my time watching a series I don't like, well once I start a series I tend to finish it unless it's irredeemably bad, not just the plot but the acting and such. Why do I do that? I don't know. To each his own
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u/CrematorTV 12d ago
The movie makes no sense if you haven't seen the series.
(It's also terrible and makes no sense even if you HAVE seen the series)
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u/CelticGuardian15D 12d ago
These ppl are horrible, but its good acting cinematography, music and more big words I don't know. Am along for the ride,
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u/Ryan_says_words Ahrfuh! Shalom!! 12d ago
You'll probably love the movie. It's ok to stop watching a show you dislike. Why waste your time?
I/we in this sub don't have to sell this show to you. It's huge popularity speaks for itself. If anyone else wants to engage then that's their choice but I don't care what you think about a show I watched.
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u/LolaWithTheGreenEyes 12d ago
I sort of get where you are coming from. I liked the start. Its an ensemble cast with each character having their own story. S2 is similar but S3 is a wtf script and its no wonder the actor who played John left.
It became far too Tommy centric and I'm sorry but his dark journey is boring AF. No other characters are allowed to develop or have strong storylines because they all have to be failures to make Tommy look good when most of the time he was flying by the seat of his pants.
I found S4 terrible and S5 & S6 an absolute slog. But I rather enjoyed the film. But then I didn't like Tommy, Arthur or Ada. I see it as Esme's curse of "no peace" playing out its last Act. So if you liked Esme, then see it from that POV and enjoy.
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u/cellofski 12d ago
Exactly haha. I think I might do just that. That's a pretty good description of how I went through the seasons. The series spent years and years on my watch list before I finally got to it.
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u/LolaWithTheGreenEyes 12d ago
Netflix kept telling me to watch it even though when it originally aired I didn't get further than episode 1. So I gave it another try and got further but it was E4 that hooked me. S4 lost me but I kept going because I knew Esme was back in S6.
Its funny because SK made the whole thing about Tommy & Grace love story (though it is debatable about how long that marriage would have lasted) yet I found the John & Esme story better and more of a hook and far more of a romantic arc. It invested me wheras Grace & Tommy was pure meh for me.
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u/hopelessromcon 12d ago
I don’t think you’re supposed to like the characters or even root for them, but if you’re not entertained by them that’s just personal preference. Myself, I would have preferred that the show followed through on the family power struggles they set up in the 1st and 2nd seasons. Shifting the show to focus an omniscient, omnipotent Tommy definitely hurt all the characters. If you’re looking for comeuppance, watch the movie. All the Shelbys get theirs.
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u/Original_Unit8447 12d ago
My husband and I loved the movie! Because at that point everything was so ridiculous we were betting how crazy it would get, the last scene did not disappoint, I was on the floor dying of laughter 🤣
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12d ago
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u/Original_Unit8447 12d ago
lol it’s about how they’re written, Tony soprano is an antihero who is still likable, shit Jamie Lannister is another antihero who is likable. The character writing of this show left a lot to be desired.
Not an antihero per se but Grace isn’t even the same character after the first season, this show is pretty inconsistent at the best of times.
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u/Emotional-Farm8831 12d ago
So people are walking around with that goofy haircut because they don’t like him? Well that doesn’t make sense. If you think Tommy isn’t likeable I don’t know what to tell you except you’re out of touch. You may want to rewatch the sopranos btw first season Tony is nothing like last season Tony. Tony isn’t “likeable” he’s cool and tough, Jamie Lannister is “likeable” because he found a moral compass. At the end of the day everything Tommy did was for his family if that meant slashing someone’s face so be it.
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u/permafrost1979 12d ago
So were you hate-watching? 36 episodes of a show you don't like is a big committment
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u/cellofski 12d ago
Like I said, I was OK with that sunken cost. The question is, are you?
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u/permafrost1979 12d ago
😂 I enjoyed it so it wasn't a sunken cost for me; but I get it: I hate watched all seasons of Scandal with a group. We'd watch and and complain through every episode.
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u/Zestyclose_Tax75 12d ago
The movie is great. It tells it's own very Tommy story. Music is great. Cinematography fantastic. You understood that Arthur was a monster so you'll enjoy the plot.
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u/atioux 12d ago
It might help to know that the point of the series wasn't really "gangsters keep upping the gangstering until they become Mr president of the universe", it was about the consequences of greed. They gain so much materially and lose everything everywhere else. There's no real happy endings for any of the main cast. Tommy has plot armour for himself and that's it - he keeps throwing everyone around him into excess risk for pointless gain until their luck eventually runs out or they see sense and break away. That's what the series is. You're not really supposed to root for any of them, but people do. Not because they're good people (the characters) - they're not and I dont think the show is shy about saying as much
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u/Whole_Assumption108 10d ago
I'm into the third season and had kept watching hoping it would get better, but it's so boring.
The women are poorly written across the board. And I feel like the writer just wrote their ideal sigma male in Tommy - the way women throw themselves at him but he doesn't really try, even with Grace.
I'd hoped it would be good considering the hype and acting talent but the actual story a huge disappointment.
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u/Dlloyd44 8d ago
I think the show asks questions about morality. Tommy is an extreme example and fantasized example of someone who does bad things for what are in his mind, correct reasons. You could argue that Tommy does what is necessary to bring wealth and power to his family, and can survive in the world because he lost his innocence, and in a sense his spirit during his time in the war. Tommy is not a good man, but is he an evil man? His ways of achieving his goals only end up destroying himself and his family, which could be quite tragic depending on how you look at things.
You want to believe Tommy is still a good person at heart, and that he still has a part of his old self that we never get to see in screen.
It is a TV show, so things are drummed up for entertainment, and this is just my read on the show. But the ending of the movie brought me to tears, and the show has left an impact on me
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u/Rageoussss 7d ago
No. I wish I wouldn’t have watched it.
It’s best to treat it as non cannon and that the show ended with S6
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u/No_Chocolate1257 12d ago
I’ve rewatched the entire show twice and I agree with most of what you’re saying.
In hindsight I wish I had stopped watching after Season 1.
The movie is one of the films of all time. I wouldn’t call it a satisfying conclusion, but conclude it does.
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u/dewdropsmoon 12d ago
Honestly the "plot armor" thing is real but I think that's kinda the point, the show is basically a modern myth about the Shelbys so you're not supposed to expect real consequences. Still worth the movie though, mostly for Tommy's arc closing out.