Peaky Blinders killed the most overused trope in British gangster movies

Until Peaky Blinders Along with its Birmingham-based gangland action, most British gangster films and TV shows are set in and around London. Peaky Blinders Revolving around the criminal activities of the titular gang in the immediate aftermath of World War I, the gang was loosely based on a real-life urban youth gang of the same name, which were active in the city of Birmingham from the 1880s until The 1910s. The series deviates from the real-life story, but one element remains consistent: their hometown.

Look at any classic British gangster movie; They are almost always set in London. Snatch, Legend, Layer cake, Eastern Promises, The long Good FridayAnd Lock, stock and two smoking barrels All take place at London’s CD Underbelly. Anyone who based their knowledge of British geography solely on gangster movies would think that the island is just one big London-shaped city Full of cockney people. But that all changed when Peaky Blinders Came in 2013.

Peaky Blinders finally moved the British gangster genre away from London

Peaky Blinders is inherently a show about Birmingham

Peaky Blinders Inside is a show about Birmingham: Birmingham culture, industry, people, etc. It’s a rare example of a famous British gangster story that doesn’t take place in the capital. Almost every notable British gangster movie and TV show, from Gangs of London to Once upon a time in Londonis set in London. That’s not to say there aren’t British gangster stories elsewhere – Get Carter Michael Caine’s London gangster has gone to Newcastle to avenge his brother’s death – but the vast majority of the big ones are London-based.

Rise of the Footsoldier Takes place in Essex, which technically isn’t London, but is very close. Even sexy animalWhich revolves around a retired criminal who moves to Costa del Sol specifically to get away from London, has a lot of action centered around London. Peaky Blinders broke the mold with its Birmingham setting; It proved to a global mainstream audience that London is not the only British city with gangsters.

The city of Birmingham is integral to Peaky Blinders

Birmingham isn’t just a setting in Peaky Blinders

Birmingham is not just a setting in Peaky Blinders; It informs the characters and their stories. The city of Birmingham is intrinsically tied to Peaky Blinders As New York is to SeinfeldOr Baltimore is too The ruler. The culture and the history and the inner workings of the city are the backbone of Peaky BlindersDrama. Peaky Blinders Simply wouldn’t be the same story without its Birmingham setting, and it finally gets the British gangster genre out of its traditional London trappings.