The Immortal Man (2025) Review – A Return to Tommy Shelby’s Shadowed Reign

The Immortal Man (2025) Review – A Return to Tommy Shelby’s Shadowed Reign

Introduction

Few characters in modern television have etched themselves into the cultural psyche quite like Tommy Shelby. In The Immortal Man (2025), Cillian Murphy returns to a role that has long outgrown the confines of small-screen storytelling. Directed by Tom Harper, this cinematic continuation of the Peaky Blinders saga dares to reimagine crime drama not as spectacle alone, but as an exploration of consequence, legacy, and the shadows that never quite recede.

The Immortal Man (2025) Review – A Return to Tommy Shelby’s Shadowed Reign

A Story of Power and Regret

The film situates Tommy in post-war Birmingham—a city rebuilt on smoke and sorrow. The war may be over, but the battles within Tommy remain unyielding. Here, we find a man wrestling not only with enemies in alleyways but also with the ghosts of his own ruthless ambition. The narrative moves with sharp urgency, every scene dripping with the dread of inevitable betrayal. Roger Ebert once noted that the most compelling stories are less about what happens and more about why it happens. In this case, the why is written across Tommy’s weary face.

The Immortal Man (2025) Review – A Return to Tommy Shelby’s Shadowed Reign

The Ensemble Cast

  • Stephen Graham embodies the relentless force of a rival unafraid to match Tommy blow for blow.
  • Rebecca Ferguson delivers intrigue and allure as a double agent whose seduction masks hidden motives.
  • Barry Keoghan thrives in ambiguity, playing a wildcard whose loyalty is never quite certain.

This balance of menace and fragility creates a dynamic where every glance feels dangerous and every whispered deal carries the weight of betrayal.

The Immortal Man (2025) Review – A Return to Tommy Shelby’s Shadowed Reign

Visuals and Atmosphere

Filmed at Digbeth Loc Studios, the movie’s aesthetic is nothing short of haunting. Shadows cling to cobblestone streets, cigarette smoke curls like serpents in dimly lit rooms, and the score punctuates each silence with foreboding. It is not beauty for beauty’s sake—it is atmosphere as storytelling, each frame reinforcing the inevitability of tragedy.

Dialogue and Direction

Tom Harper directs with a steady hand, balancing brutal violence with moments of introspection. The dialogue is cutting, yet it often leaves more unsaid than spoken. In this silence lies the film’s power. Conversations unfold like chess matches, every word another piece moved into place. The elegance of the violence, brutal yet choreographed, recalls the best traditions of crime cinema.

A Reckoning for Fans

For devoted followers of Peaky Blinders, The Immortal Man is more than a continuation. It is an act of reckoning—where Tommy Shelby confronts not just rivals, but the weight of his own myth. This is not a man preserved in glory, but one pressed beneath its burden. The film reminds us, as Ebert often emphasized, that cinema at its best holds a mirror to the human condition. Here, that mirror reflects the inevitability of downfall.

Conclusion

The Immortal Man is not merely a crime drama—it is a meditation on survival, power, and the lingering cost of ambition. With Cillian Murphy at his most commanding, supported by a formidable cast, the film delivers both as a spectacle and as a somber elegy. Fans will find themselves gripped, haunted, and perhaps even unsettled—just as great cinema should demand.