Peaky Blinders

What’s it about?

This British crime drama series follows a Birmingham gang run by the Shelby family. The story takes place in 1921, and the family’s leader, Tommy, is getting ready to expand their enterprise into London.

The facts

• Directed by Colm McCarthy
• Stars Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Tom Hardy, Sophie Rundle and Joe Cole
• English language
• Runtime: 6 episodes, each around 60 minutes long

Why did it get this rating?

This series was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about the classification process and ratings here.

Sexual Violence

Gangsters kidnap a woman. She screams and struggles as they pull at her clothing. She is punched and grabbed by the throat. A rival gang saves her from the assault.

Graphic Violence

This series contains a lot of violence with graphic detail of injury. Stronger moments include:

• A man is held down and his throat is cut deeply. Blood pours from the wound and spreads across the floor.
• A man is beaten until bloody, and the attacker appears to bite off a portion of his ear, though the injury is not shown.
• A character is repeatedly stomped on and kicked, his bruised face shown covered in blood. A switchblade is inserted in his mouth and his tooth is removed.
• A character is shot in the head and dies, showing blood mist when the bullet hits. Blood pools on the ground.
• A character is repeatedly stabbed in the face with a broken glass bottle. He is shown covered in blood with numerous cuts on his face.
• A character punches someone who is already on the ground. His fists get bloodier as he keeps hitting. His opponent’s bloody and bruised face is shown and he eventually dies.
• A gang prepares to set fire to a pub. A gangster prepares a match and lights the liquid. The scene closes with a brief close-up of the barman’s terrified, gasoline-soaked face.

Sex scenes and Nudity

Several scenes depict sexual activity between adults, conveyed through sounds of pleasure and rhythmic movement. In one, two people move together on desk.  At a club, a clothed woman makes rocking motions on top of a man. Another scene shows a couple’s moving bodies, leading into wider shots of their changing positions while thrusting. A woman sits on the edge of the bath with breasts and pubic hair visible before she is pulled into the water, with rocking motions implying a sexual act.

There is a crass reference to “working class cock”.

A woman poses for a life drawing, showing her bare breasts, pubic hair, and buttocks.

Offensive language

‘F**k’ used aggressively, ‘n*gg*r’ and ‘darkie’ used as a slur. The bigoted language is not supported by the narrative.

Drug use

Separate scenes show a gangster snorting a line of white powder and later appearing energised. The drug use is shown as part of the characters’ criminal world and is not appealing.

When content stays with you:

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?