# Luther (2010)

> A brilliant but volatile London detective hunts depraved killers while his own dark impulses threaten to consume him.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1342

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 20
- Episode runtime: 53 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama, thriller
- Created by: Neil Cross
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Idris Elba, Indira Varma, Steven Mackintosh, Saskia Reeves, Dermot Crowley, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Sienna Guillory
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1474684/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: brutal
- Tone: dark, tense, brooding, intense, bleak

## What critics say

Critics and audiences broadly regard Luther as a dark, acclaimed British crime thriller driven by Idris Elba's intense lead performance.

## Synopsis

Luther (2010-2019) is a British crime drama series created by Neil Cross for BBC One. Idris Elba stars as John Luther, a gifted Detective Chief Inspector in London whose brilliance in hunting depraved murderers is matched by a volatile temper and a troubled private life. Indira Varma plays Zoe Luther, a figure tied closely to his unraveling world, while Steven Mackintosh plays Ian Reed, a dangerous adversary who draws the detective into dark games. Dermot Crowley appears as Martin Schenk, a steadying presence within the police ranks. The engine of the series is a cat and mouse dynamic: Luther pursues brutal killers through grim urban investigations, and each case pushes him closer to the violence he tries to contain. The show runs five seasons across twenty episodes, a serialized run of feature-length style episodes with a continuing thread of personal turmoil. Its tone is dark, tense, and psychologically intense, with a moody, rain-slicked London atmosphere. Fans of Sherlock, Line of Duty and Hannibal will find resonance in its brooding detective work and its unsettling study of a man who might be as dangerous as the criminals he hunts.

## Shows like Luther

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- [The Alienist (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/62634)
- [Vera (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/36009)
- [Rellik (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/64114)
- [Collateral (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/66476)
- [The Suspect (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/119250)
- [We Hunt Together (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/87053)
- [Above Suspicion (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/15192)
- [Prodigal Son (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/77819)

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