Peaky Blinders ran out of story a long time ago — a film version is a bad idea

We have a reporter at Spin 1038 to thank for bringing it up at the IFTA after-show press conference. Is Murphy excited to portray Tommy Shelby on the big screen? He didn’t say, but Ballintemple’s finest did not deny the film’s existence, nor did he deny his involvement in such a production.

“There’s good momentum on that,” he answered, “watch this space.” The reporter then wondered if the famous paddy caps will make a return. “I can’t tell you”, responded Murphy, with a smile. And that was that.

We’re used to this way of business. It is, perhaps, better for everyone involved that Murphy remains tight-lipped about a project that hasn’t yet begun shooting. Knight, the series’ creator, is a little less cautious. The award-winning television writer has already said that his long-gestating Peaky Blinders flick will enter production in September of this year and that Murphy “definitely is returning”. We’ll believe it when we see it, and we probably shouldn’t worry ourselves about whether Murphy has signed on the dotted line. Instead, we should focus on the bigger problem: why would anyone want to watch a Peaky Blinders film?

I’ll admit, for a couple of seasons, Knight’s show was one of the most satisfying on television. It allowed Murphy to tap into something fresh, to take his time and have some fun with a character unlike any other on his CV and — this is the important bit — to lead the charge for a change. Too many projects had placed him in a tidy, distant supporting role. Not this one, and Knight’s tremendously overripe crime saga transformed Murphy from an acclaimed Irish film actor to a celebrated television icon. The story (tortured Birmingham war veteran kickstarts a criminal empire in his hometown) was silly, simple and undeniably entertaining.

Throughout its initial run, Peaky Blinders never claimed to be anything other than what it was: trashy gangster fare with tasty tunes, thrilling set-pieces and a smashing cast. It was, by no means, perfect but we got our kicks out of it and, from the looks of things, so did Murphy. The worst thing to happen to the show was its success.

Peaky Blinders should have wrapped up in its third or fourth season. Instead, it developed notions about itself, and its misguided creator decided to change the landscape with a confusing, convoluted tale that saw Murphy’s Shelby go from sneaky, chain-smoking crime boss to moody, egotistical politician. Soon after, things spiralled out of control. There were too many creaky sub-plots, too many spinning plates, and far too many senseless twists.

By the time it finished its original television run in 2022, Peaky Blinders had become a wonky, wheezing pastiche of itself. I would try to explain that final season’s plot developments — a baffling tale that involves a revenge yarn, a wicked curse and a fake illness — but I’m afraid I might collapse from dizziness.

Sometimes, if people ask, I tell them to watch the first two seasons and to check out around the same time that Sam Neill’s character does. That way, they never have to see it fall out of shape. Most of the viewers who stuck it out until the end, however, will tell you there is no more petrol in the tank. Long before its finale aired, Peaky Blinders ran out of story — it ran out of reasons to exist.

Footage shows Cillian Murphy rehearsals for breakout role while at university

Still, Murphy, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs earlier this year, admitted that if Knight finds a story to tell, and if he delivers the right screenplay, he’ll happily return. “I mean, if we want to watch 50-year-old Tommy Shelby,” said Murphy, “I will be there. Let’s do it.”

Fair enough, but Murphy’s stock is hotter than it’s ever been. His next film, the hugely anticipated Small Things Like These, is due for release later in the year — and Knight will steer no fewer than three major television productions throughout 2024. Neither of them should concern themselves with a Peaky Blinders film, not at this stage. It is, to be perfectly honest, as bad an idea as the original Sex and the City movie. Let that sink in.