The Thursday Murder Club isn’t just the new No. 1 movie on Netflix — it probably could have been No. 1 at the box office as well.
This murder mystery comedy is based on the bestseller by Richard Osman, and it has an A-list cast led by Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley.
Harry Potter and Home Alone director Christopher Columbus helmed the movie, and it feels like it would have been right at home on the big screen if it hadn’t gone direct-to-streaming.
Now, Watch With Us is sharing the three reasons why you should watch The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix, assuming you haven’t already.
The Cast Is Very Fun to Watch
Mirren, Brosnan and Kingsley may be the biggest names in the cast, but she gets more of the spotlight than her costars. As former spy Elizabeth Best, Mirren gives the movie its drive and its heart. Elizabeth is unofficially the leader of the Thursday Murder Club, which includes ex-union boss Ron Ritchie (Brosnan), retired psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif (Kingsley) and new recruit Joyce Meadowcrof (Celia Imrie), a former nurse.
Imurie does get a little lost in the shuffle when surrounded by the others in that group, but she offers some valuable perspective as they attempt to solve a decades-old murder case. There are also some glimpses into their personal lives, through Ron and his son, Jason Ritchie (Tom Ellis), as well as Elizabeth’s ailing husband, Stephen Best (Jonathan Pryce). All of those performers have a breezy on-screen chemistry with each other. Former Doctor Who star David Tennant has a more adversarial role as Ian Ventham, and he’s perfect as the villain you love to hate.
This Mystery Has a Few Surprises
Tennant is so good playing the man who wants to destroy the Thursday Murder Club’s lavish retirement community that he seems like the obvious choice to be the film’s killer. As a minor spoiler, we can say that he isn’t. Mystery lovers won’t be too shocked that there are some misdirects away from the killer or killers. But the ultimate motivations for the murders aren’t obvious at all.
In retrospect, The Thursday Murder Club lays its cards out in the opening scene, as the murder case from decades ago unexpectedly plays into the unfolding murder investigation around them. This story doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it successfully plays with the conventions of mysteries to keep things interesting every step of the way.
It Balances Comedy and Suspense
The reason why the Thursday Murder Club members aren’t thrilled about the chance to solve an actual murder in their orbit is that the future of their retirement home is at stake. Judging from their shared home at Cooper’s Chase, none of them would be forced out on the streets. But leaving Cooper’s Chase would represent the end of the community they’ve built together.
This film never really expects the audience to believe that the core trio is ever in any real danger, although Elizabeth does get a pair of warnings to stop digging into the mystery. However, there is some genuine suspense late in the film when the murderer is exposed, and we’re forced to wonder how far they’ll go to cover up the crime.
For the most part, the emphasis is on comedy over mystery, and it delivers some good laughs without turning its characters into caricatures. The Thursday Murder Club strikes the right balance between its two genres, and the only real mystery left is how soon Netflix will order a sequel.
The Thursday Murder Club is streaming on Netflix.
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