If you like the gangster genre and great acting, plot, writing, and characters, I’d recommend “Peaky Blinders” on Netflix. The name alone put me off for a while... I didn’t consider it because the name didn’t give me a clue what it’s about. My son recommended it, and we binged 5 seasons in about three weeks.
It’s the story of a family of Irish gypsy gangsters. At the outset, the young Shelby brothers have just returned from World War 1, and are carrying on the family business in Birmingham England. The main character Tommy Shelby (Played brilliantly by Cillian Murphy) is a decorated war hero, whose ambition and recklessness lead the family into danger, and to wealth and power. It’s set against the backdrop of a lower-class industrial town with Irish, Chinese, Jewish, and Italian gangs all vying for influence and control, as England goes through it’s pre-WWII political turmoil. Socialists and fascists warring for political control, and the gangs getting swept up in the power struggle is an interesting subplot. And some of the most brilliant moments are between Murphy and Sam Neill, who plays an inspector sent by the younger Churchill to investigate the disappearance of some military weapons. Also notable is Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Alfie Solomons, the leader of the Jewish gang.
