Netflix Crime Thriller Series Will Have You Binging Like Crazy

The show ran for six seasons from 2013 through 2022, with a feature film expected to premiere in the next year or so, capping off the beloved series with a definitive conclusion.

Peaky Blinders was first brought to life on the BBC Two network, before swapping channels several times throughout its prolific nearly decade-long run.

The show was created and produced by British writer-director Steven Knight, who recently signed on to pen an upcoming film within the extended Star Wars universe starring Daisy Ridley. Peaky Blinders touts an all-star cast including Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Sam Neil, Finn Cole, Anya Taylor-Joy, and many more.

Though Cillian Murphy had appeared in a handful of popular films before Peaky Blinders began in 2013, the series is largely credited for launching the Oppenheimer star’s career as a leading man. Once the show became a hit, Murphy became a household name, resulting in a number of massive roles in the decade since.

The narrative of Peaky Blinders, which unfolds over the course of 36 heart-thumping hour-long episodes, centers on an eponymous Birmingham, England street gang of Irish and Romani thugs.

The first season of the series takes place in 1919, highlighting the state of Europe in the immediate aftermath of the First World War, and displays a cops-and-robbers archetype as crime boss Tommy Shelby evades gang-busting detectives sent by Winston Churchill himself.

Subsequent seasons of the hit show feature a look at the longevity of the Peaky Blinders gang as they expand internationally, taking on additional corners of Europe as the spread of extreme ideals such as fascism and communism gives way to additional global conflicts.

By the time the sixth season concludes, the year is 1933, and Nazism has all but taken a stranglehold of Germany, setting the stage for World War 2.

While there’s no word on what the upcoming Peaky Blinders film will cover plot-wise, it seems like a safe bet to assume the film will focus on the draft of British soldiers and subsequent shelling of the UK by the Axis forces.

The series has received critical acclaim for its sharp writing, fascinating character portraits, and impeccable performances, culminating in a 93 percent critic score on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.

Peaky Blinders has been favorably compared to many American crime dramas, including Boardwalk Empire, The Wire, and The Sopranos. Some fans have referred to the period piece as the greatest crime drama of the streaming era.

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of binging through the acclaimed series, the full six-season run of Peaky Blinders is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Conversely, if you’ve already binged the entire show, it may be worth refreshing your knowledge of the characters and settings before the upcoming film premieres later this year.