But after watching it… it felt that something was off. Beware of the spoilers, mate!

So what exactly did we just watch?

If you’ve followed Tommy Shelby from the beginning, you know his story was never just about power. It was about control, trauma, ambition, and that constant war inside his own head. This film clearly leans into that internal battle. It strips away the larger gang politics and focuses almost entirely on Tommy as a man nearing the end of his road.

Now the real question is, did the film nuke the nerve? While that approach sounds powerful on paper, in execution it makes the film feel less like a continuation and more like a reflective epilogue. Wait, let me explain.

Strong performances but carrying too much?

There’s no denying that Cillian Murphy delivers exactly what you expect. He is Tommy Shelby at this point. The way he carries silence, exhaustion, guilt, all there that can be.

And Barry Keoghan, aka Erasmus “Duke” Shelby, who played Joker as a brief role in The Batman (2022), brings intensity in his own way. There are moments where the tension feels real, where you think something meaningful is about to unfold, as we are used to during the six seasons of this epic series.

But then I start wondering something. Was the conflict actually built well enough for the audience to care? Because for a series that gave us layered rivalries and long-standing enemies, this matchup can feel surprisingly underdeveloped. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t leave a lasting impact either.

Style is still there… but

Director Tom Harper sticks to the familiar visual language like slow-motion shots, stylised frames, and that signature modern soundtrack over a historical setting. And yes, it feels like Peaky Blinders.

But at this stage, after everything the series has already achieved, you might start asking yourself: is repeating the same style enough to carry a final film?
Despite delivering nerve-wrecking visuals, storytelling-wise it plays things very safe.

The biggest issue: the film feels… compressed

This is where most of the mixed reactions are coming from netizens, and from me too. It seemed like I’m not the only dedicated fan who observed this anomaly.

You can clearly sense that there’s a lot of story packed into a very limited runtime. Events move quickly, character decisions come without enough build-up, and some arcs feel either rushed or completely ignored.

And if you’ve seen the whole series, these questions will naturally come to your mind:

What happened to certain key characters (for example: Alfie Solomon, Finn) who were being built up earlier?

Why do some major events (Arthur’s and Ada’s death) happen off-screen or without proper explanation?

How did we jump into this phase of Tommy’s life without seeing the transition?

It creates a strange disconnect. You’re watching important moments, but you don’t always feel them the way you used to in the series. Some choices just don’t sit right, especially if you’re deeply invested in these characters.

And that’s dangerous for a story like this, because Peaky Blinders was always built on consistency in character psychology. Even when Tommy made extreme decisions, they always felt earned. Here, a few of those decisions feel more like shortcuts than natural outcomes.

Final thoughts

Though there are lots of moral differences between a film and a series, the film clearly aims for a quiet, reflective ending rather than a grand, explosive one. We see a man who has already fought his battles, already won in many ways, but is now left alone with everything those victories cost him.

This isn’t a bad film. In many ways, it still captures the essence of what made Peaky Blinders special: its atmosphere, its performances, its focus on a deeply complex central character.

But it also feels like a story that needed more time to breathe. Maybe another season. Maybe more build-up. Maybe more space to let the emotional weight actually land.

So if you’ve watched it or you’re about to, ask yourself honestly: What am I expecting from our infamous (or famous) Thomas Shelby?