Why Netflix’s New #1 Movie Is Taking Over The World (Even Beating Alan Ritchson’s Sci-Fi Action Film)

Netflix’s movie chart has a new champion. After an impressive run at #1, War Machine, the punchy sci-fi action flick led by Alan Ritchson, has finally been dethroned. The twist is that this wasn’t a shock upset. The film that claimed the crown, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was always destined for success.

The Immortal Man is a feature-length continuation of Peaky Blinders, the globally adored British crime saga set in the chaos of the early 20th century. More importantly, it serves as the long-awaited conclusion to Tommy Shelby’s story, bringing his journey to a dramatic conclusion with a full feature-length outing.

That’s not to diminish the gritty and riveting War Machine, which absolutely earned its time on top. However, audiences have been primed for this return since Peaky Blinders season 6 wrapped in 2022. Nearly five years later, The Immortal Man has finally arrived, and subscribers worldwide are devouring it in droves to the point it’s dominating Netflix charts in almost every territory.

The Return Of Peaky Blinders Has Been A Long Time Coming

Years Of Anticipation Turned The Film Into A Global Streaming Event

When Peaky Blinders aired its season 6 finale in 2022, it didn’t feel like a goodbye. The story paused on unresolved tensions, lingering rivalries, and a protagonist still wrestling with power and purpose. Viewers sensed there was more to come, even without an official continuation on the schedule.

That instinct proved right. Series creator Steven Knight had already suggested the saga would continue beyond the ending of Peaky Blinders season 6 as early as 2021, and even then was toying with the idea of a movie to finish the saga (via Variety). While details were scarce, the message was clear: Tommy Shelby’s journey wasn’t finished. The Shelby legacy still had chapters left to write.

Those early teases kept discussion alive long after Peaky Blinders concluded. Fan theories multiplied. Cast interviews were dissected. Every production update became headline news. The gap between seasons didn’t cool interest; it intensified it.

By the time The Immortal Man was formally announced, the hype and excitement around the return of Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby was palpable. It was clear that Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man wasn’t going to be a lackluster attempt to keep the franchise going. It was the promised next act of a story millions had already invested in for nearly a decade.

The years of anticipation meant that The Immortal Man was more-or-less destined to dominate Netflix from the moment it arrived. When the Peaky Blinders film landed on March 20th it was an event, not just fresh content for the Netflix library. The excitement surrounding its release had been compounding for years, transforming the premiere into a global moment for thousands of patient fans.

Built-in loyalty met long-simmering curiosity, meaning that streaming success was more-or-less guaranteed. Viewers didn’t need convincing to press play when Peaky Blinders returned, and the result is a chart-topping debut that reflects more than brand recognition. It’s the payoff to years of expectation, sustained momentum, and the simple fact that audiences wanted closure to Tommy Shelby’s story.

What Critics And Fans Have Said About The Immortal Man

A Strong Crime Drama That Sparks Debate As A Series Finale

There’s no question the initial audience surge for The Immortal Man was powered by the Peaky Blinders name. Franchise loyalty guarantees attention, and Steven Knight and the rest of the Peaky Blinders cast and creative team have kept interest alive in the years since the season 6 finale.

However, strong viewership and brand recognition doesn’t automatically translate to praise, but, thankfully, The Immortal Man works as a standalone film in its own right. As a historical crime drama, it delivers everythign fans of the genre could want: commanding performances, sharp period atmosphere, and tense power struggles. The cinematic scale amplifies the grit that defined the series, giving its conflicts added weight on the big screen.

Where debate around whether Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is good or not emerges is in discussions about the legacy of the original show. The conversation isn’t about whether the movie functions, but whether it fulfills expectations as the continuation of a modern TV classic. That’s a far tougher bar. Critic Lacy Baugher, writing for Roger Ebert, captured that tension perfectly:

““The Immortal Man” offers an uneven and occasionally contradictory answer to [whether Tommy Shelby can ever truly find peace], often reading as an expansion rather than a deepening of emotional beats fans have already seen play out onscreen. But even at its most self-indulgent, there’s something genuinely thrilling in watching Tommy Shelby suit back up again.”

It’s a stance that’s echoed across almost every review of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The film satisfies the urge to revisit the world of Peaky Blinders, even if it doesn’t always redefine it or, perhaps, justify taking the trip. Matt Blake at Esquire offered a similarly balanced take to Baugher that, once again, sums up the general sentiment incredibly well:

“The Immortal Man doesn’t feel like a fully fledged feature – it’s a bridge, a glorified episode – but it does its job. It reminds us why we loved Tommy in the first place: the mud, the blood, the booze, and, yes, the family stakes that drag a man back into the fight he thought he’d left behind. Just, if it had to be a bridge, I wish it had been a little more Golden Gate, and a little less rickety rope.”

For many Peaky Blinders fans, that’s enough. Returning to these characters carries its own reward. Plus, as the streaming numbers for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man show, audiences are more than willing to make that journey.