Peaky Blinders
Overview
Peaky Blinders is a 2013 historical crime drama television series created by Steven Knight for BBC, set in Birmingham, England, in the aftermath of World War I. The series follows the Shelby family, a Romani-Irish crime family who run a gang known as the "Peaky Blinders," named for their practice of sewing razor blades into the peaks of their caps. The series stars Cillian Murphy as Thomas "Tommy" Shelby, the ambitious, cunning, and haunted head of the family. Tommy served as a tunneler in the war and has been traumatized by his experiences. He has nightmares, he suffers from what we would now call PTSD, and he uses his strategic mind to build the family's criminal empire. The series begins in 1919, with the Shelbys trying to expand their influence by moving into the world of horse racing, betting, and gunrunning. They come into conflict with the Irish Republican Army, the Birmingham police, and the British government. The series follows Tommy as he rises from small-time gangster to legitimate businessman to Member of Parliament, all while struggling with his own demons. The supporting cast is excellent: Paul Anderson as Arthur, Tommy's volatile older brother; Sophie Rundle as Ada, Tommy's sister who falls in love with an IRA man; Helen McCrory as Aunt Polly, the family's matriarch and financial genius; Joe Cole as John, Tommy's hot-headed younger brother; and Tom Hardy as Alfie Solomons, a Jewish gangster in London who is both an ally and a rival to Tommy. The series is known for its stylish cinematography, its anachronistic rock soundtrack (featuring Nick Cave, The White Stripes, and Arctic Monkeys), and its iconic fashion. Cillian Murphy's piercing blue eyes and sharp suits became iconic. The series also features powerful performances from guest stars like Sam Neill as the corrupt policeman Chester Campbell, Adrien Brody as the Italian mobster Luca Changretta, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Michael's wife Gina. The series ended with its sixth season, which dealt with the aftermath of Helen McCrory's real-life death. The story will continue in a film, The Immortal Man. Peaky Blinders won multiple BAFTA Awards and is widely considered one of the best crime dramas ever made.
