Review of 'The Thursday Murder Club'
At retirement village Coopers Chase, a group of residents - Psychiatrist Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), former trade union leader Ron (Pierce Brosnan), and ex-spy (perhaps?) Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) - meet weekly to discuss “cold cases”. Joined by new arrival retired nurse Joyce (Celia Imrie) the group are currently investigating a case from Detective Inspector Penny Gray (Susan Kirkby), now in hospice, involving the unsolved murder of Angela Hughes. New village arrival Police Constable Donna De Freitas (Naomi Ackie) proves to be helpful in their investigations as events at the retirement home take a turn for the worse with the murder of co-owner Tony Curran (Geoff Bell) following an argument about redevelopment of the site with partner Ian Ventham (David Tennant). The loss of Tony is a blow to the group and they quickly pick up the case. Time is running short as Ian readies the bulldozers to begin turning Coopers Chase into luxury flats…
This is the much-awaited film adaptation of the first book in Richard Osmond's best selling “Thursday Murder Club” series and features some pretty big names in the cast. Even so it feels more like a television melodrama than a film though with only a brief appearance in a handful of cinemas before showing up on Netflix, perhaps that has something to do with it? As might be expected, the performances are light on the acting focusing more on character which is fine when you have talent like this on show even if many of the actors have not graced our screen for a few years. It was great to see David Tennant (most familiar as a former Doctor Who) playing against type as a “baddie” here, ruthless and obsessed, giving short-shift to the retirees. Yes, it is the familiar “goodies” vs “baddies” so not exactly complex.
The plot is not too convoluted, intertwining two separate storylines that manage to come together by the end with a quite poignant sequence about the elderly that will likely cause some discussions. On that note, it is also great to see a story focused on older people and the problems they face even if they are mostly treated for laughs (well, slight chuckles) as they are here. These retired people are perhaps a bit more active than the average retirement home resident…
“Thursday Murder Club” is enjoyable, light entertainment but not much more. It is OK.
Rating: “Really good but I have some issues”
Review Date: 2025-09-07
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Studio: Amblin Entertainment
Year: 2025
Length: 118 minutes
Genre: Melodrama
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12001534/
Other reviewed films by Chris Columbus:
- Pixels (2015)