Fans of Harlan Coben style dark mysteries should try this 2023 movie drama

Have you been watching Missing You, the latest Harlan Coben drama on Netflix? Plenty of people have as it’s a regular top ten show on the platform currently. But with just five episodes in the limited series, it’s all over far too quickly. 

If you like watching the many Coben shows like that one, you may be hungry for more to watch in a similar style. His deal with Netflix means there will be others to follow. It looks like the next two from the author are being lined up now. 

If you want another dark mystery full of plot twists and with big characters then Netflix will have many options. One recommendation would be to turn to the 2023 movie featuring the return of DI John Luther. The maverick UK cop was always highly watchable during his five TV series. A movie promises more of the same but in a shorter time frame. You won’t even have to binge-watch it. 

Luther movie may keep Harlan Coben show fans happy for now

Luther: The Fallen Sun stars Idris Elba recreating his role as Luther. Dermot Crowley returns to play his beleaguered and now-retired boss. There’s also a great performance from Andy Serkis as the man behind some macabre killings.

The basic outline of the plot sees Luther jailed early on for his past misdemeanors as not quite crooked, but not by the rules either detective. There’s a dramatic escape that allows Luther to get back to tracking down the serial killer he was hunting before the courts interrupted. That's not a spoiler, as it happens so early on, and it wouldn't be much of an action move if he was stuck in jail for all of it. 

The movie is on a big scale throughout. It’s like the TV series on steroids at times. Elba is the usual surly but dogged and determined Luther. Even down to the familiar tweed coat, short and loose red tie. Serkis plays the macabre and calculating killer perfectly. Watch out for touches of Hitchcock’s Psycho and a very dramatic hairstyle too. 

The drama builds gradually, the suspense grows as the violence and threat continue. The final section of the movie goes from TV drama to a worth of James Bond setting and climax. Sure there are as many plot holes as bodies at times, but it’s a fun and suspenseful watch. It's one that Coben fans will likely appreciate, too.

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