Peaky Blinders - Netflix 8.5/10
Whew. Netflix does their nitty gritty crime dramas well. Peaky Blinders is a peerless glimpse into the turn of the century mess that the post war industrial revolution was. Set in London and Birmingham England in the 1920s, Peaky Blinders chronicles the efforts of a rag tag Birmingham gang lead by criminal mastermind and Great War hero Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, to make it in the heartlessly oppressive lower class society of rampant poverty, forced labor, alcoholism and prostitution against rival gangs, constant betrayal, scheming, bloody violence, corruption, and the police. My man Sam Neil plays a horrifically corrupt clandestine agent of the crown serving under one Winston Churchill to clean up the streets of Birmingham and counter the activities of IRA insurgents. Oh, and Tom Hardy is in it and he brought another one of his made up unintelligible accents with him. He still thinks he's a thespian.
Tommy is a bit of a mary sue who has the benefit of the plot ass-pulling contrivances at times when it needs a convenient resolution to a dramatic conflict. Such is the hazards of portraying a cunning devious schemer - the character can only be as smart as the writers. He's a fascinating character for the most part, and seeing Cillian flex his acting chops has convinced me that he's a far better actor than I initially pegged him for. It is effortless to admire and emphasize with Tommy and his family. Sam Neil carries his weight as always. Can never go wrong when you cast Master Neil.
Peaky Blinders does a very effective job making me hate the turn of the century. From its gritty depiction of life on the streets, to the abysmal oppression, the rampant poverty and violence, hypocrisy and corruption, the show works hard to make you sympathize with the unsavory criminal elements. This is a messed up world where you want the thugs and liars to succeed because it's the only way they're gonna get a fair shake.