Peaky Blinders was a 2010s phenomenon that hinged on three core elements: vibes, vibes and Cillian Murphy looking irresistibly irascible on a horse.
The Birmingham-set British gangster period drama, set between 1919 and the mid-1930s, was sometimes superficially compared to The Sopranos during its early seasons — likely only because both TV series glorified violence, fetishized outsider status and worshipped bygone aesthetics of masculinity. The connections between the two shows are ultimately skin-deep, however, because The Sopranos maintained cinephilic pedantry while Peaky Blinders employed a bro-core vision of cool. The consummate Peaky Blinders tableau features hard rock and punk songs interwoven with images of stacked thugs in wool suits and newsboy caps striding around menacingly. Sometimes astride horses. If it makes you feel something, that’s great. The production design and photography were always top-notch, but the writing could never fulfill the promise of its atmosphere.
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