Luther: The Fallen Sun ending explained – What happens to John Luther?
Idris Elba is back as the rogue detective for a new movie spin-off.
Four years after the conclusion of the hit BBC One series, Idris Elba has returned as DCI John Luther for movie spin-off Luther: The Fallen Sun – which is currently playing in select UK cinemas ahead of a Netflix release on Friday 10th March.
The film picks up after the ending of the series – with the title character serving time in prison – before he breaks himself out to begin a battle with dangerous cyberterrorist David Robey (Andy Serkis), who was responsible for his arrest and has been taunting him while he was behind bars.
Although much of the film was shot in London, the tense final act sees the titular detective head overseas for the first time as he travels to the villain's Scandinavian lair for an epic showdown.
If you need some help making sense of those final moments – read on to have the Luther: The Fallen Sun ending explained, and beware that there are major spoilers ahead.
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Luther: The Fallen Sun ending explained
After taunting Luther for much of the film, serial killer David Robey (Andy Serkis) is able to blackmail counterintelligence operative Odette Raine (Cynthia Erivo) into delivering him to his Scandinavian lair, where he is holding Raine's daughter captive.
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In the lair, Robey has built a Red Room where he is putting on a horrific show for a live audience of his sadistic followers – each of whom has been given the chance to vote on how he kills the various people he has kidnapped.
In front of this audience, Robey instructs Raine and Luther to torture each other, with the former going along with his wishes in order to protect her daughter. Unsurprisingly, Luther is less willing to play ball, and rather than following the villain's commands, he tells the viewers that they are being tracked by the police – which prompts most of them to switch off their screens, much to Robey's displeasure.
After discovering that the authorities are on their way, Robey tries to escape, with Luther in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, Rayne and her daughter appear to be trapped in the lair, which is now on fire following the battle.
Luther's chase of Robey results in the pair of them scrapping at the bottom of a frozen lake, with Luther managing to trap his nemesis below the surface – where the corpses of many of his previous victims already lie. Luther is then able to free Rayne and her daughter from the lair and is saved by a helicopter overhead just as he passes out.
Who is recruiting Luther?
Of course, the film doesn't just end there. After he is rescued, Luther regains consciousness inside a mysterious room, and not long afterward a number of official-looking vehicles arrive outside. Luther is then invited into one of the vehicles by a man wearing a suit – who tells him that a job offer is awaiting him from the chief.
Although it's not quite made explicit, it very much appears that this is Luther being ushered into the secret service – who clearly want to make use of his considerable skills after he lost his job as a policeman for his past indiscretions.
Luther: The Fallen Sun is currently showing in select cinemas and will be on Netflix on Friday 10th March. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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