Review by Jon Donnis
Chris Columbus's The Thursday Murder Club, adapted from Richard Osman's 2020 novel, leans hard into the comforting pleasures of the cosy mystery. On that front it mostly delivers. The film's greatest strength is its cast. Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie are a delight together, their chemistry turning a tidy, familiar premise into something genuinely warm and often very funny. They carry the film with a kind of effortless authority, making the club's weekly meet-ups feel lived in and alive. Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant and Jonathan Pryce provide solid support, so the ensemble never runs thin.
Acting, in fact, is the thing the movie never lets you down on. The leads bring nuance to roles that could so easily have been played as caricature. Mirren's Elizabeth has a dry, brisk wit. Brosnan's Ron is both charming and stubborn. Kingsley and Imrie add restraint and a human softness that balance the performances. The supporting cast add flavour without stealing scenes, and the camerawork and soundtrack are consistently tasteful. There are moments of neat visual framing and a score that steers the emotion without ever getting in the way.
Where the film falters is where it chooses comfort over surprise. The plot follows the Thursday Murder Club as they turn their hobby of solving cold cases into a real investigation after a death occurs on their doorstep. The setup is enjoyable, the reveals are neat, but the screenplay rarely takes risks. It is, as the notes put it, quite formulaic at times. The structure leans on familiar beats from the genre, and the mysteries resolve with a certain neatness that undercuts the potential for darker, stranger turns. If you come for thrills you will find polite twists rather than shocks.
Pacing is another issue. At nearly two hours the film does sag in places. There are stretches that feel indulgent in their coziness, as if the movie expects you to make a cup of tea and return without missing much. That same cosy quality is also its selling point, so this complaint is conditional: if you want comfort and steady humour, it plays to that strength; if you want urgency and edge, it will frustrate. In short, it does not push the genre forward. It keeps it safe, and that safety will please some viewers and bore others.
Still, the movie hits many of the highs that fans of the cosy murder mystery expect. The balance of warmth and wit is well judged, and the film's camera work and soundtrack lift scenes. There are effective set pieces, and the interplay between the retirees and the younger police officers gives the story a pleasant generational counterpoint.
If the film has an overall character it is amiable restraint. It is a high-quality, comfortable watch with dependable performances and clean production values. But it is also cautious, choosing the familiar route instead of striking out for something riskier or more ambitious. For viewers who just want a well acted, gently amusing whodunit to watch with family, it will feel like a gift. For viewers after daring plotting or real suspense, it will feel like a missed opportunity.
The Thursday Murder Club is charming, polished and reliably pleasant, but it does not aspire beyond being cosy entertainment. If that sounds like your kind of film, you will be well served. 6 out of 10.
Out Now on Netflix
