The murder mystery genre is oddly a source of comfort, as Agatha Christie-style sleuth stories tend to focus more on putting together clues than assembling the gruesome details of the case. Although it’s a subgenre that has existed long enough for the tropes to become well-established, a solid spin on a familiar tale needs only a few solid misdirections, a cast of charming characters, and a good sense of humor to make for an entertaining time at the movies. โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ is charming in how deliberately quaint it is. This is a film that could have been made during Christieโ€™s lifetime, as it doesnโ€™t intend to mess with a formula that has stood the test of time for a reason.

Based on the popular novel series of the same name, โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ follows the retired nurse Joyce (Celia Imrie), who begins adjusting to her new community at the retirement home Coopers Chase. Although Joyce shares a close relationship with her daughter Joanna (Ingrid Oliver), she soon befriends the former spy Elizabeth Best (Helen Mirren), the retired psychiatrist Ibrahim Ari (Ben Kingsley), and the ex-trade union leader Ron Ritchie (Pierce Brosnan), who hold secret meetings in which they discuss and debate cold cases. Joyce is quickly accepted as a new member of the club, but their investigations become less theoretical when an actual murder occurs, which threatens to disrupt the comforting status of Coopers Chase.

At the instance that Joyce exhales in delight upon seeing news reports of a mysterious death, it is clear where the intentions of โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ lie; itโ€™s a film that relies on the audienceโ€™s awareness of the archetypes of the genre, and moves at a quick enough pace to establish all the required components. Allies to the group include the kind-hearted police officer PC Donna De Freitas (Naomi Ackie), whose talents have been ignored by her haughty superior, Daniel Mays (DCI Chris Hudson). Additionally, Ronโ€™s son Jason (Tom Ellis) initially arrives to visit his aging father, only to find himself listed as a suspect.

The Thursday Murder Club (2025)
A still from “The Thursday Murder Club” (2025)

The stakes of the case are perfectly suited to the characters. The murder is tied to a plan by the delightfully evil landlord Ian Ventham (David Tennant), who plans to tear down the apartments of Coopers Chase to build luxury apartments. Even if the narrative gets appropriately knotty as the conspiracy is deepened, thereโ€™s justification for why the four old protagonists would be so motivated to protect their community, and why theyโ€™ve been appropriately prepared for such an opportunity. Although โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ isnโ€™t attempting to make any self-important statements, there is a sly acknowledgment that people are generally less empathetic towards those whose voices are kept silent.

While โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ has a delightful series of mini-mysteries that justify its two-hour running time, it’s the depth and personality brought by the cast that make it so engaging. Itโ€™s refreshing to see a film centered on old protagonists that doesnโ€™t demean them and seems to generally care about issues that affect them. Instead of inserting lazy jokes about brittle bones and popping pills, โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ shows how the insights and compassion of an older generation have been ignored. Itโ€™s also surprisingly nuanced in its depiction of how familial relationships can be strained. While the dynamic between Jason and Ritchie is rather wholesome, Jonathan Pryce appears in an emotional role as Elizabethโ€™s husband, Stephen, whose memories have begun to fade.

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While the unbridled enthusiasm that Imrie brings to her performance ensures that sheโ€™s an effective audience avatar, it’s Mirren that gets the showiest role. Elizabethโ€™s particular rules and procedures are wonderfully idiosyncratic, and the revelations about her past add texture when the central mystery runs a bit dry. Kingsley and Brosnan are often paired together, and complement each other quite well. If Brosnan is perfectly cast as a social leader determined to still do some form of public service, Kingsley has the quiet intelligence of a man who lived through countless extraordinary experiences.

Although it wouldnโ€™t take a mystery expert to figure out where the case is headed, โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ is a refreshing turn for director Chris Columbus, who is often not recognized as one of the most accomplished blockbuster filmmakers of the past several decades. Columbus calcified childhood innocence and whimsy with his work on the โ€œHome Aloneโ€ and โ€œHarry Potterโ€ films, and heโ€™s well-suited to showing that same comfort and wonder for an older cast of characters. Columbusโ€™ films are cheerful without being simplistic, and โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ is a well-oiled machine made by someone who has honed their craft.

A still from The Thursday Murder Club (2025)
Another still from “The Thursday Murder Club” (2025)

The verisimilitude that Columbus brings to the material elevates it above other Christie wannabes, as heโ€™s always been a filmmaker who has embraced the splendor that wholesome, middle-class working families can find in a life without luxury. If Columbus’s films like โ€œAdventures in Babysittingโ€ and โ€œMrs. Doubtfireโ€ managed to work in nuanced insights on difficult familial dynamics, โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ empathizes with the necessity of forging connections with those of different backgrounds. Many of the filmโ€™s best moments involve characters that simply take the time to learn more about one another; if it weren’t for the murder, โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ would be a fun hangout movie.

The flatness of the central case does put a dent in the filmโ€™s pacing, as thereโ€™s a point towards the end at which the audience may feel a few steps ahead of the characters. Thereโ€™s also a reliance on convenience that becomes a bit more frustrating than it is fun when previously unestablished characters begin to have more significance in tying off loose ends. Although there are a few nods to the filmโ€™s literary origins, โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ isnโ€™t prepared to deliver the type of academic analysis found in โ€œKnives Outโ€ or โ€œOnly Murders in the Building.โ€

It may seem ironic to say that a film about property management and law enforcement incompetence is โ€œcomforting,โ€ but โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ is an entertaining, if passive viewing experience with a great degree of charm. Itโ€™s nice to see Columbus return to such a playful, light-hearted romp that contains no cynicism, as it’s easily the most accomplished film heโ€™s made in nearly two decades. It may not be a classic, but a world where โ€œThe Thursday Murder Clubโ€ inspires a franchise would do a lot of good.

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The Thursday Murder Club (2025) Movie Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia, Letterboxd
The Thursday Murder Club (2025) Movie Cast: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie with David Tennant, Jonathan Pryce, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Richard E. Grant, Tom Ellis, Geoff Bell, Paul Freeman, Sarah Niles, and Ingrid Oliver
The Thursday Murder Club (2025) Movie Runtime: 1h 58m, Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama/Mystery & Thriller
Where to watch The Thursday Murder Club

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