Peaky Blinders: Viewer Discretion is Advised

Films like The Great Gatsby and actors like Charlie Chaplin, along with fringe, flapper dresses, and the revolution of jazz music paint a lively picture of what the is thought of in the, “roaring 20s.”   

Peaky Blinders, airing on BBC Two, streamed on Netflix, on the other hand, portrays ruthless criminals and  violence during that time, making it one of the more brutal shows aired.

Set in the early 1920s, in Birmingham, England, it tells the epic fictional saga of a gangster family, The Shelbys’, who are the lord’s of the black market business involving racketeering, horse racing, and illegal import/export of whiskey that was common during the prohibition, according to Legaldictionary.com.  

Cillian Murphy (Red Eye and Batman Begins) stars as the lead gangster, Thomas Shelby. He is portrayed as a good-looking businessman with intelligence, deeming his own set of morals, that makes him the good-bad guy. Beneath this veneer, however, lies a savage gangster willing to do what is necessary to accomplish his goals.  

The show also stars Sam Neill, Tom Hardy, and Helen McCrory.

The show depicts a merciless and selfish lifestyle. The thugs take what they want, do what they want, and have no respect for others outside their realm. They rule the city with tyranny.

In some ways, this is shown is the repeated and frequent scenes of brutal and bloody violence. The most frequent act of violence is seen in slapping others with their flat caps that contain razor blades embedded in them. A notable scene includes a man having his ear sliced off with a razor-blade and another scene features characters shoving razor-blades in the mouth of Gypsies.

Along with the violence, comes offensive and racist language and uncensored and strong sex. The behavior of the gangster also involves drinking, smoking, and drug use.

CommonSense.com gives the show a rating of 18 and up age limit.

So if the you find yourself scrolling on Netflix and are intrigued by the sophistication and excitement the poster and description give, be warned that this show is not for the faint-hearted.