Peaky Blinders - Season 1

Peaky Blinders
Created by: Steven Knight
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, Helen McCrory


Tommy (Murphy) is the head of his family's gang, The Peaky Blinders. So named for the razor blades they sew into the peaks of their caps. When the gang mistakenly gets a hold of a crate of guns, Tommy sees it as the perfect leverage to get his family's gang even more prestige and power in a very volatile Birmingham in 1919.

This, along with House of Cards, are the winners of Netflix originals. I know many people love Orange is the New Black, but...Peaky Blinders should be getting way more recognition and awards.

The show is a period piece, so the clothes and the set design are reminiscent of the early 1900s. It's a gritty world with unpaved streets and spittoons in the bar. The cinematography is magnificent. They do a lot of symmetrical and close up shots, but all in a very pretty, gritty, stylized way. It modernizes the show making it more interesting and relevant.

Another way the show modernizes itself is by the soundtrack. The Black Keys, P.J. Harvey, and Nick Cave are added under the scenes and juxtapose nicely against the old-looking set. It shouldn't work but it does, so well.

The editing is stylized and modernized as well. They use slow motion quite a bit. Lots of the fight scenes are slowed down. In the finale episode, they use slow motion and cuts between two scenes to build the anticipation to a great cliff-hanger.

The first episode was a bit slow but you have to watch at least three. I was hooked by the second episode. But I'm sure that if it's your cup of tea, you'll binge watch the rest of the season on Netflix.


If you think you'll watch this while you bake, sew, or clean - think again. You have to be actively watching it. All of your attention must be devoted to the screen. I admit that I had some trouble at first. It's so hard to just sit and watch something. I've become so used to multitasking while having something play in the background. This show is so good though that you'll get over that guilty feeling quickly enough.

Murphy, Neill, and McCrory were all very good actors. They were believable as the characters they portrayed. I hope we get to see more of McCrory, as Polly. She may not be the head of the gang now, but she is a badass woman, and ran the entire operation when the boys were away at war. Grace, played by Annabelle Wallis, was kind of lackluster. She seemed too reticent in her acting.

I am in love with this show and I would tell anyone to give it a chance. I cannot wait to watch Season 2 which is also on Netflix. Season 3 is currently in production.

I give it 5 out of 5 popcorn.