'The Thursday Murder Club' review: 'Only Murders' fans, brace for your new cozy crime fixation
Imagine Golden Girls meets Murder, She Wrote, and you'll have a sense of the immaculate energy that exudes from The Thursday Murder Club.
Now, I realize those comparisons might sound dated. But I challenge you to find a modern, massively popular franchise that allows retirees to be seen as smart, lively, and cool without apology. Yes, Only Murders in the Building has some of that — but suffused with New York neuroses and self-deprecation. The Thursday Murder Club is steeped instead in dry English wit, and with comparable star power.
Based on the popular book series by Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie as four pensioners who might be retired, but who don't count their best years behind them. Instead, using the skills they've acquired over a lifetime as a spy, union leader, psychiatrist, and nurse, this curious quartet investigates cold cases. Or — in the footsteps of Jessica Fletcher — they explore the source of fresh blood that turns up on their own doorstep.
You May Also Like
Ready for something you and your folks can watch together? Buckle up.
The Thursday Murder Club delivers clever, cheeky, crime-ridden fun.
Osman's quartet of novels is new, with the first publishing in 2020, but they have a timeless feel. Set in a charming retirement village of Cooper's Chase — depicted here like a Downton Abbey-style estate — The Thursday Murder Club presents its seniors with a cozy scene and a vitality that is exhilarating. Rejecting ageist stereotypes, screenwriters Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote paint them not as dotty grandmothers or cantankerous grandpas. They're not out of touch or stagnant. They are intellectual, emotionally intelligent, and alive. Best of all, the Thursday Murder Club uses the ageist expectations of those who'd underestimate them against them, essentially masquerading as fretful, frail old biddies when it'll get them what they need (like access to a particular police officer, played by the splendid Naomi Ackie of Blink Twice).
Meet Elizabeth Best (Mirren), who is collected, chic, and no-nonsense as she casually interrogates cops and criminals alike. With a silver-fox beard and a flair for rowdiness, Ron Ritchie (Brosnan) is the rabble-rouser of the group, spurred into booming speeches whenever the need arises. By contrast, Ibrahim Arif (Kingsley) is more reserved, a deep thinker who takes great pride in his rigorous wellness routine. And new to the crew is Joyce Meadowcroft (Imrie), a recent widow who is fresh to Cooper's Chase and eager to make friends with her brilliant baking — and her capable assessment of crime scene photos.
Together, they — like Sophia, Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose — are a clashing collection of personalities who exude attitude, wit, and love. Across four books to date, they've become more than funny detectives to me. They're real and wonderful. And The Thursday Murder Club carries that torch by bringing them to the screen in bursts of charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.
The Thursday Murder Club is a gift, albeit a bit toned down.
To condense Osman's first novel into a single movie, some of the more salacious plotlines are tamed (like Jason Ritchie's background) or dropped altogether (the priest got off light!). Likewise, some of the characters who certainly came off gruffer in the novel get a Hollywood makeover here; for example, tattooed tough guy Bogdan is played by the muscular but vaguely dapper Henry Lloyd-Hughes. Still, I have no major qualms with these changes because of what The Thursday Murder Club gets right: its heroes. They are heroes, brilliant and aspirational.
A moment of confession: I began reading these books not long after I lost my grandmother. She wasn't a detective, a spy, a shrink, or a nurse. She was, however, one of the smartest and most compassionate people I knew. Which meant that in her eighties , she was prone to hollering at her loved ones (me included) about what she believed was right. She fought for the world she wanted to see, one argument at a time. And often, I saw others shrug, as if she didn't know what she was talking about — perhaps because her world had seemed to shrink as her mobility issues rose. But in this modern world, being informed is at your fingertips, and she was ruthlessly informed, opinionated, and not afraid to let you know about it. I miss her, and this energy every day.
Watching The Thursday Night Murder Club, I cackled with glee as Elizabeth and Joyce went on a covert mission, or Ibrahim and Ron manipulated a cop by playing into misplaced pity. I cheered for their victories, gasped for their setbacks, and laughed at their jokes — but never at them. Sure, in Osman's novels, he addresses a certain fish-out-of-water element of being a senior in a world where technology moves like a flash flood. (Joyce joining social media proves very amusing in the books.) But his empathy for their experiences is deep and inviting. His respect for his characters is reflected in the casting.
By bringing together three world-famous, highly acclaimed movie stars to play Elizabeth, Ron, and Ibrahim, the initial trio is instantly granted gravitas from their first frame. When Joyce joins the crew, she's almost starstruck, and that also makes sense. Imrie, who has a long, long career in the UK and the comic timing to prove it, is pitch-perfect as their eager newbie. Mirren's confidence, Brosnan's boldness, Kingsley's sophistication, and Imrie's enthusiasm make for a perfect balance. And it's not that any of them remind me specifically of my gram, but they — like her — are wondrously alive, passionate, and dedicated to service in whatever way they can. And man, while I laughed watching this movie, I could almost hear my gram laughing with me.
The Thursday Murder Club is a sensationally funny, warm, and smart crime-comedy with a crackling ensemble. If you're hankering for a new season of Only Murders in the Building, pining for the days of Golden Girls and Murder, She Wrote, or you just miss the radiant senior in your life, this is a gift, a treat, and a delight — on par, I'd imagine with Joyce's Bake-Off-worthy pastries.
The Thursday Murder Club debuts on Netflix on Aug. 28.
Kristy Puchko is the Entertainment Editor at Mashable. Based in New York City, she's an established film critic and entertainment reporter who has traveled the world on assignment, covered a variety of film festivals, co-hosted movie-focused podcasts, and interviewed a wide array of performers and filmmakers.
