I never imagined a movie about retirees solving murders to make me laugh one minute and tear up the next, but “The Thursday Murder Club,” now streaming on Netflix, manages exactly that. Adapted from Richard Osman’s bestselling novel of the same name and directed by Chris Columbus, the film is a rare mix of comedy, mystery and drama. This is a story about friendship, aging and secrets hidden beneath the surface.
The center of the story is the Thursday Murder Club itself. The groups consists of: Elizabeth (Hellen Mirren), a sharp and commanding woman with a past in “international affairs.”; Joyce (Celia Imrie), who was later introduced to the club as a nurse; Ron (Pierce Brosnan), who was known as “Red Ron” at the time, was a trade unionist; and Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), a psychiatrist who helped war veterans with PTSD. Together, these four are a perfect mix of brain and humor to keep the story moving.
The story opens with a mysterious incident: a man named Peter Mercer hears arguing from his wife’s Angela Hughes upstairs window before she suddenly plummets to her death. While everyone suspects foul play, nothing is stolen and the circumstances are unclear. This sets up the layered narrative the film thrives on, with multiple cases overlapping, each adding a lot of tension throughout the story. The focus of the story, however, quickly shifts to the death of Tony Curran, a co-owner of Coopers Chase, a retirement community. Tony is a complicated figure, a dangerous man who’s loyal to the community and is standing in the way of Ian Ventham. Ventham is the ruthless second co-owner who wants to demolish Coopers Chase, its church and even its cemetery to make way for flashy event venues. With the retirement community at risk of destruction, saving Cooper’s Chase becomes the central goal of the Thursday Murder Club.
The film’s plot is layered and intricate, but never becomes confusing. The murder of Curran is the present-day start, while Hughes’ fall and the mystery surrounding Mercer form a secondary storyline. As the club further investigates, they start to uncover hidden motives and buried bodies. Through their investigations, the club draws other meaningful characters, including Officer Donna (Naomi Ackie), a young cop with a clean perspective who is introduced into the club after she gave a presentation on home safety in the retirement home.
Copy of Rating Template by Amelia Castellanos
What makes the film truly captivating is its seamless balance of comedy and suspense. Just when the tension builds, the humor snaps it back. The members of the club each have distinct personalities and the chemistry between them makes every scene feel vibrant. The film’s humor is very clever and bright, while other darker moments explore themes like aging and love. The film is stunning to look at. The visuals are warm, polished and perfectly matched to the tone. Every frame feels intentional.
That said, there are a few drawbacks worth noting. Certain characters’ backstories, like those of a few main figures, could have been explored in more depth, since a lot of these characters play a big part in this movie, it would have been nice to see more of their upbringing. However, these small gaps don’t necessarily take away from the film’s impact. For instance, not everything needed to be solved in order for the story to feel satisfying. The unresolved parts left room for implications and imagination.
Despite there being multiple books of this movie, it still stands perfectly well on its own with a satisfying pace. This movie was genuinely so sad, yet so entertaining to watch. It truly shows the beauty and heartbreak of aging, with a bittersweet ending. By the time the credits rolled, I was strangely attached, wishing there was just a little more story left to tell.
