John Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his t... Read allJohn Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his team.John Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his team.
- Nominated for 11 Primetime Emmys
- 16 wins & 69 nominations total
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe first three series end with the same line of dialogue: "Now what?"
- Quotes
Alice Morgan: Some little girls grow up wanting ponies. I always wanted to be a widow.
- Alternate versionsFor international distribution, changes were made to many episodes to shorten running time.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Breakfast: Episode dated 30 April 2010 (2010)
- SoundtracksParadise Circus
(Main title)
Written by Robert Del Naja, Grant Marshall, Hope Sandoval, Dan Brown (as Daniel Jonathan Brown) and Stew Jackson (as Stewart Neville Jackson)
Performed by Massive Attack
Featured review
Crazy, unhinged, but great show
What's remarkable about "Luther" is how series creator Neil Cross takes a rag-tag bag of clichés--brilliant but damaged rogue cop, long-suffering boss, genius killer, etc.--and makes it all seem so fresh. Of course, having the fantastic Idris Elba helps immeasurably. He doesn't just act the part of Luther; he is Luther, fully inhabiting the role and moving like a force of nature through every scene. This is one of those rare times where you see an actor's innate intelligence and physicality used perfectly. (Watching Luther decompensate, as he does at various times over the story arc, is really something to see.) Elba is matched every step of the way by Ruth Wilson, playing a sort of female Hannibal Lector--brilliant, amoral, remorseless, scary, and, I daresay, sexy. She and Elba make quite a pair, and their interplay is priceless.
Finally, it's worth noting that this series, while ostensibly a cop show, has its own look and feel. It plays more like a beautifully filmed, weird morality play. (Cross makes the point that Luther believes in only two things, life and love, though the viewer will quickly see that, despite his damaged psyche and emotional baggage, he also ultimately believes in himself.) Some may think that it's just insane, far-fetched, and way over the top. (which it sometimes is if you look closely and cynically). But I think that it exudes a unique vibe. Take a look at the impressionistic opening credits with Massive Attack on the soundtrack, and you'll know right up front that this is something special.
Finally, it's worth noting that this series, while ostensibly a cop show, has its own look and feel. It plays more like a beautifully filmed, weird morality play. (Cross makes the point that Luther believes in only two things, life and love, though the viewer will quickly see that, despite his damaged psyche and emotional baggage, he also ultimately believes in himself.) Some may think that it's just insane, far-fetched, and way over the top. (which it sometimes is if you look closely and cynically). But I think that it exudes a unique vibe. Take a look at the impressionistic opening credits with Massive Attack on the soundtrack, and you'll know right up front that this is something special.
helpful•14433
- cfisanick
- Nov 22, 2010
Details
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
- 16:9 HD
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