Cynthia Erivo had to be stopped by medic during intense Luther: The Fallen Sun fight scene
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WARNING: This post contains spoilers for Luther: The Fallen Sun.
Odette Raine is not part of John Luther's fan club.
Luther has made the jump from show to feature-length movie, and Cynthia Eviro's character DCI Odette Raine is a huge part of the newest chapter. Netflix's Luther: The Fallen Sun finds John Luther (Idris Elba) behind bars for breaking the law to close cases, and centers on the mayhem caused by cyber psychopath David Robey (Andy Serkis), a man John never caught. DCI Raine has the daunting task of hunting down Robey while trying to keep Luther, who is determined to solve the case himself, out of her way.
For Eviro, it was DCI Raine's fire that drew her to the role. "It's not often we see Black women in those particular positions of power," she tells EW of the character she's honored to play.
John Wilson/Netflix Cynthia Erivo as Odette Raine in 'Luther: The Fallen Sun'
There's an emotional build to Odette's journey that the actress found to be fascinating. "It starts off simmering, which was really fun to play. There's this measured, straight to the point instructional way of dealing with people until she's pushed to the edge," she says.
That pressure point is Raine's daughter Anya (Lauren Ajufo) being taken by Robey in order to force her to bring Luther to him. "She's that lioness who won't allow anything to happen to her kid and if something does she will stop at nothing to make sure that she's okay," she says. "I actually think it makes her more dangerous in a way."
The predicament forces the two unlikely partners together, which allows Raine to begin to see Luther as more than a disgraced officer. While their on-screen teaming is tense at best, Eviro and Elba had a great time building the complete dynamic. Eviro calls Elba a "gentle giant" who is able to be warm while delving into Luther's darkness. The combination of dark and light is what makes Luther a dynamic character in her eyes, and she says that's what made developing the complicated Luther-Raine dynamic with him a joy.
Odette's dynamic with returning Luther character Martin Schenk (Dermot Crowley) is a much warmer one that will delight fans of the original series. Luther's former supervisor Martin is no longer with the police when Odette seeks him out for guidance regarding Luther getting involved in her investigation.
"I love playing that dynamic because they have a mutual respect for one another," the actress shares. They both have an understanding of how complicated Luther makes their lives, but Martin wants him to be the best version of himself while she still has disdain for him when the pair meet. "There's a lovely sort of dance between them that allows each to get what they need," Eviro explains.
In addition to Odette's complex personality, the physical challenge of the role was another aspect of the character Eviro thoroughly enjoyed. Luther: The Fallen Sun turns the dial up with big action sequences, including a frantic scene where Robey manipulates his victims into jumping off buildings, causing several car accidents in the city's center. "It was really cool to do a big set piece like that," Erivo says about the nighttime shoot of the major sequence.
DCI Raine also has a brutal and daunting fight scene at the end of the film in the Red Bunker as she battles desperately to save her daughter. "I remember that I was so full of adrenaline that I didn't realize that my temperature was dropping, so our medic had to stop me to warm up internally before continuing, but I would have kept going because I was having so much fun."
John Wilson/Netflix Lauren Ajufo as Anya Raine in 'Luther: The Fallen Sun.'
After being reunited with her daughter, DCI Raine finds herself changed by her time with Luther and the hunt for Robey. "It's not so black and white for her anymore," she says of her new viewpoint. "It'll be interesting to see if she begins to work on things in a slightly different way."
Not only did Raine have to tap into her own darkness to survive, but she saw Luther offer himself up to save her daughter when Robey forces her to stab him. "By the end, she has a different understanding of who he is," she says. "[Luther] is a good person who has been put in compromising situations and hasn't always chosen the right thing, but mostly has chosen what leads to the right outcome."
When asked if she'd play Odette again, she says, "I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'd love to go back again."
Luther: The Fallen Sun is now streaming on Netflix.
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