Everything We Want To See In A Peaky Blinders Film

While researching a different piece for this very website – Everything We Want To See In Peaky Blinders Season 6 – I came across the rumour that, after production finally wraps up, there may be a Peaky Blinders spin-off film to follow. Purported to be written by the show’s creator, the original cast may well be returning.

While this has yet to be officially confirmed – we are in a pandemic after all, and everything is on hold – wouldn’t it be fun to look at what we would all like to see in a spin-off film?

The need to ‘pack a punch’ is all in the plot line

If you total up the screen time of a BBC series of Peaky Blinders, it will add up to more than the screen time allocated for your average film. For this reason, the writing of a potential film would need to have more of a ‘punch’ to it; it would need to be executed quicker, as well as becoming more streamlined. If a film drags on too long, it could lose the interest of the viewer. The plot would also need to be less complex than the TV series.

It would need to be after the Second World War

Take a gander at the Wikipedia entry of Peaky Blinders, and you will find some interesting information about the plans for the series, in terms of the historical events it covers. If the series reaches the Second World War, then the film would need to be after that, when the world begins to rebuild itself after the German defeat. Just take Wikipedia with a pinch of salt.

And there could be a surprising angle in the writing of the film. Vulnerability matters, after all

Credit: BBC

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Ardent viewers will know that it seems obvious that Tommy Shelby has a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; we ofter see episodes of what could reasonably chalked up to being Disassociation. We see him also hallucinate at times – and his first wife appears before him, too. His brother, Arthur, also deals with a similar issue, too; an early episode shows a man in one of the Shelby’s pub, thinking that he is under attack, back in the trenches. It takes a group of men to prevent serious harm happening, to bring him back to the present day.

With the current conversations that are happening around subjects such as mental health, it would be refreshing to see a show like Peaky Blinders cover this. Just think: as head of the organised crime family gang, Tommy Shelby has a lot resting on him. He cannot be seen to be weak; that would be a signal for a rival gang to come and take over, to take away the family business. Yet, the last series partially questioned if he was still the strong, stable leader he once was. There is trouble in the family ranks, with a younger Shelby man aiming to take control.

If there was a forced leadership succession, it would be good to see Tommy admit to his vulnerability, to finally receive the help he so obviously needs.

What the series does not answer should be answered by the film

Is it just me, or does the BBC series leave so many things unanswered? If there are any cliffhangers, this could easily be resolved in the space of two hours, or even just ninety minutes.

It’s All About The Morals

Credit: BBC

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Good vs Evil – capitalised intentionally – is never as black and white as is sometimes made out. We saw that best, I think, with the latest Joker film. The same can be said for the Peaky Blinders; they know that what they are doing – killing, maiming, threatening – is wrong, and do show remorse at times. But there is always, always a dilemma over it.

In the last series, we saw the threat of violence used against an Order of Nuns; there were reports of child abuse at the institution. The Shelby family took those orphaned children into their own care, away from the Nuns.

While we can all agree – likely – that violence is wrong there is a dilemma here. There is always a wrestle between what is right, and what is wrong. It makes for a great drama.

We even saw this when Tommy Shelby spoke with a former arch-enemy, Alfie Solomons. Alfie had been ‘dead’ for most of the series – and had retired to Margate. The conversation ends with Tommy suggesting he will not stop until he is defeated by a man that he himself cannot defeat.

Please, please, let there be a film!

What about a ‘younger generation’ takeover?

Time passing is subtle yet obvious in Peaky Blinders. Tommy Shelby has showed signs of ageing – such as having a child, changes in his hair cut, the need to wear glasses. Family members have died, while a younger generation has begun to flourish.

Time passes. Inevitably, we all die in the end. If the throne Tommy Shelby sits on has to become vacated, then a film could show the takeover by another family member, as a part of its plot.

Micheal Grey may be the most tiresome of all the Shelby clan – his entitlement in the last series irrationally irked me to an extreme level, when the Depression was just settling in – but at least the Shelby company would still be within the family.

A Peaky Blinders film would also need a good villain

Credit: BBC

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Every villain in Peaky Blinders has become instantly memorable.

We had Inspector Campbell with his casual misogyny and his sanctimonious mandate; Luca Changretta was utterly terrifying, someone who we see uses devil references about himself.

His family also kill one of the Shelby’s in a home shootout. (RIP John.)

Alfie Solomons is a friend as well as a foe. Oswald Mosley is a side villain for sure, but is still captivating yet terrifying. What is the common denominator?

The personality, as well as the accent. You can ‘hear’ each and every villain before you see them, almost.

Now we just need this film to go to production.

What do you make of this news?

Would you like to see a Peaky Blinders film?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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