Since its arrival on the small screen in 2013, Peaky Blinders has developed into one of the biggest BBC dramas of the modern era. Steven Knight\u2019s fine series tells the story of Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), the head of a crime family in post-First World War Birmingham, and it took viewers on a rollercoaster journey across six series until 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now Peaky Blinders is back \u2014 but this time as a film. Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (available now on Netflix worldwide) is set a few years after the events of the television series and stars Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy and Stephen Graham alongside new additions Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth and Barry Keoghan.<\/p>\n
And while it\u2019s great to have the Blinders back in our lives for 112 minutes, it has also reminded us just how much we\u2019ve missed the show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So if gritty gangsters, dodgy politics and family feuds have got you in the mood for more of the same, we\u2019ve compiled a list of ten great TV shows and films you should try next\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gangs of London (Sky\/ Now)<\/p>\n
Available on AMC+ in the US<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s set in the modern day, this grimy and violent exploration of an underworld battle for the control of the streets of the capital shares much of its DNA with Peaky Blinders. It helps that it features Joe Cole in a leading role (he plays John Shelby in Peaky Blinders), but more than just offering a familiar face, this epic story of internal family struggles, double-dealing and betrayal is a dark and breathless gangster drama. <\/p>\n
Taboo (iPlayer)<\/p>\n
Available on Prime Video in the US<\/p>\n
This dark and gritty drama was co-created by the Peaky Blinders mastermind Steven Knight and alumnus Tom Hardy, who also stars in the series. Set in 19th-century London, the show follows Hardy\u2019s James Delaney who returns to the capital after 12 years in Africa. A mix of devious underworld goings-ons, politics, business and corruption, it shares many similarities with its Birmingham-based cousin and is a marvellous addition to your watchlist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Wind that Shakes the Barley (BFI Player)<\/p>\n
Available on AMC+ in the US<\/p>\n
Directed by the renowned British film-maker Ken Loach and starring Cillian Murphy, this film offers a portrait of men in the same post-First World War era as Peaky Blinders whose lives have been shaped by war and its horrors. This story of friendship, divided loyalties and the power of politics and ideology in everyday lives sees two friends who once fought together pitted against each other in the Irish War of Independence. <\/p>\n
Boardwalk Empire (Sky\/ Now)<\/p>\n
Available on HBO Max in the US<\/p>\n
This glossy HBO drama may be set in Atlantic City and New Jersey rather than Birmingham, but it takes place during the same time period and deals with similar themes of dark and murky crime gangs, political corruption and deeply drawn characters in conflict. Starring Steve Buscemi as the corrupt political player Nucky Thompson, this beautifully detailed period piece blends real-life events with drama to create a compelling and addictive TV series. <\/p>\n
House of Guinness (Netflix)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Family, feuding, violence and tumultuous times. Knight\u2019s drama about the early days of the famous Irish brewing family is set before the events of Peaky Blinders, but it\u2019s very similar in both form and substance. Accompanied by a ripping soundtrack of anachronistic music and storming performances from the likes of James Norton, the Netflix series is another immersive story from the same mind as Blinders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
City of God (Sky Store)<\/p>\n
Available on Paramount+ in US<\/p>\n
One of the most electrifying and beautifully crafted films to have been made about crime, City of God tracks the rise of gangsters in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. While there\u2019s not a Brummie in sight, this incredible story captures the same raw and chaotic energy of the rise of criminal power through violence and fear with truly awe-inspiring, fast-paced, breathless and incredibly stylish storytelling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Gentlemen (Netflix)<\/p>\n
One of Britain\u2019s most celebrated modern directors, Guy Ritchie proved his storytelling is perfect for the streaming age with an adaptation of his 2019 film into a TV series. The crime drama starring Theo James and Kaya Scodelario blends the similar stylish and fast-paced gangster elements of Peaky Blinders with a just enough dark humour to offer up a fresh and fun take on the genre. There\u2019s plenty of dodgy deals and even dodgier characters to keep you on your toes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Legend (Studiocanal\/Prime Video)<\/p>\n
Available on YouTube with ads in US<\/p>\n
Forget Sinners, Tom Hardy played twins first. The actor stars as the Krays, the twins who ruled east London with unwavering violence. With brutality reminiscent of Peaky Blinders, the film follows the Cockney siblings\u2019 relationship as they terrorise the streets of London: one is rational, the other is a livewire with glasses. Directed by Brian Helgeland and adapted from John Pearson\u2019s 1972 book The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins, this is a fascinating look at the lives of the crime lords and where it all went wrong for them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Top Boy (Netflix)<\/p>\n
This brutal and vivid drama about the lives of London drug dealers is the modern-day equivalent of Peaky Blinders. Created and written by Ronan Bennett, the first two series aired on Channel 4 before Netflix picked it up and continued the story set on the fictional Summerhouse estate in Hackney. It follows the gang leaders Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kane Robinson, aka Kano) as they grapple with trying to dominate their patch. It\u2019s a show that exceeded expectations \u2014 just don\u2019t expect them to wear caps.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gomorrah (Sky\/Now)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Available on HBO Max in the US<\/p>\n
David Bowie and Diego Maradona were both fans of this unvarnished portrait of the Neapolitan criminal underworld. Forget stylish, well-dressed gangs, the raw and brutal series follows ruthless antiheroes as they battle for control in Naples. A masterclass in crime television, the series is an assault on the senses, drawing you deep into a mixed-up world of power struggles and violence on the Italian streets. <\/p>\n
Love TV? Discover the\u00a0best shows on Netflix<\/a>, the\u00a0best Prime Video TV shows<\/a>, the\u00a0best Disney+ shows<\/a>\u00a0, the\u00a0best Apple TV+ shows<\/a>, the\u00a0best shows on BBC iPlayer<\/a>\u00a0, the\u00a0best shows on Sky and Now<\/a>, the\u00a0best shows on ITVX<\/a>, the\u00a0best shows on Channel 4<\/a>\u00a0streaming, the\u00a0best shows on Paramount+<\/a>\u00a0and our favourite\u00a0hidden gem TV shows<\/a>. Don\u2019t forget to check our comprehensive\u00a0TV guide<\/a>\u00a0for the latest listings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Since its arrival on the small screen in 2013, Peaky Blinders has developed into one of the biggest…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":338961,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[156,111,139,69,437],"class_list":["post-338960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=338960"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338960\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/338961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=338960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=338960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=338960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}