The Thursday Murder Club film review: ‘A charming mystery that gives a wink to its audience’

We have long had a soft spot for older amateur detectives – whether that be Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher or the podcast-loving neighbours of Only Murders in the Building. There’s something irresistible about seeing people in the twilight of their lives solving criminal mysteries that are stumping the professionals.

The Thursday Murder Club – adapted from Richard Osman’s 2020 bestseller – plants itself firmly in that tradition, but with a knowing nod and a wink to its audience. At one point, ageing sleuths Joyce (Celia Imrie) and Elizabeth (Dame Helen Mirren) head off on a bus to visit the police and Joyce blurts out, “I feel like we’re in one of those Sunday night dramas about two bright-eyed, feisty old lady detectives outsmarting the police at every turn. Do you feel like that?” Elizabeth replies, without missing a beat, “No. And never use the words ‘bright-eyed, feisty old ladies,’ in my presence again.”

That metatextual moment of gentle self-mockery is key to the film’s appeal. Director Chris Columbus doesn’t try to disguise the fact that Osman’s story is a comfortable whodunit strewn with somewhat familiar tropes. Instead, he leans into them, delivering a film that knows its own rhythms and embraces them warmly. This isn’t a reinvention of the genre or an ironic pastiche. It’s a straight-up cosy mystery: well-performed, occasionally moving and consistently charming.

From left: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Sir Ben Kinglsey and Celia Imrie in The Thursday Murder Club film. Credit: Netflix.

The setup is a simple one. In a retirement village in Kent, four unlikely friends meet once a week to pore over cold cases. Elizabeth, a retired MI6 spy, is played by Mirren with commanding wit. Ron, a former trade union firebrand, is given comic cockney vigour by Pierce Brosnan. Ibrahim, a psychiatrist with an eye for detail, is brought to life by Kingsley’s typically masterful performance. And lastly there’s Joyce, a cake-baking former nurse, played by Imrie with just the right mix of innocence and mischief.

When a co-owner of their palatial retirement complex home is found dead, the club finally has a case of its own. The first suspect? An oily property developer and business partner of the deceased played by David Tennant, who clearly enjoyed himself in the role.

The film benefits enormously from its ensemble cast. Helen Mirren holds everything together, slyly undercutting the cosiness whenever it risks becoming twee. Brosnan is perhaps the biggest surprise, playing Ron with such boisterous humour that he often steals entire scenes. Imrie brings warmth that makes Joyce the emotional heart of the piece, while Kingsley provides gravitas.

Around them, Naomi Ackie impresses as Detective Donna de Freitas, Daniel Mays bumbles along as her weary, chocolate-scoffing colleague, and Jonathan Pryce brings quiet poignancy as Elizabeth’s chess-playing husband. Tennant, meanwhile, clearly relishes being one of the villains of the piece.

David Tennant (left) plays an oily property developer in the film. Credit: Netflix.

Part of the appeal of The Thursday Murder Club book series comes from enjoying spending time with the characters, rather than solving the mystery. The same is true of the film – and that’s no bad thing.

The plot is never bewildering, nor is it meant to be. What matters is the interplay between the club members, their run-ins with the police and the way the case stirs questions about ageing, friendship and purpose. Columbus allows for reflection without slowing the pace. The film gently touches on a range of themes – including dementia, loneliness and even assisted dying – but never in a way that overwhelms the sense of fun.

Visually, it’s a handsome production. Shot in and around Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, the retirement community is all neat lawns, ornate brickwork and fancy furniture; a setting that helps underline the cosiness. Columbus largely keeps his direction unobtrusive, wisely letting the actors and script do the work for him. That restraint pays off, particularly in the quieter, more emotional scenes.

If there’s a criticism, it’s that the mystery is a little too straightforward. Plot threads tend to resolve a little too quickly. Anyone craving the intricate puzzles of Agatha Christie might be left wanting. But this is not a film designed to tie you in knots, it’s one designed to make you smile.

The Thursday Murder Club arrives as part of a mini revival for the whodunit. Rian Johnson’s Knives Out proved audiences were hungry for old-fashioned mysteries with modern energy, while Branagh’s Poirot film series and streaming hits like The Residence and Poker Face show that the appetite is not waning.

With Osman on board as executive producer and more novels waiting in the wings, could this mark the start of a film franchise? On the strength of this first outing, spending more time with Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim and Joyce would be no chore at all.

Read Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club book series in order

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