(L to R) Celia Imrie, Ben Kingsley, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan in ‘The Thursday Murder Club’, which will launch on 28th August 2025 exclusively on Netflix. Photo: Netflix.
Launching on Netflix on August 28th is ‘The Thursday Murder Club’, which represents an adaptation of author Richard Osman’s popular murder mystery novel.
Release Date: Aug 28, 2025
Run Time: 1 hr 58 min
Directed by Chris Columbus (‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’), the movie stars Helen Mirren (‘The Queen’), Pierce Brosnan (‘The World is Not Enough’), Ben Kingsley (‘Sexy Beast’), Celia Imrie (‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’) and Naomi Ackie (‘Blink Twice’).
Related Article: First Look at New Netflix Crime Adaptation ‘The Thursday Murder Club’
Initial Thoughts
Helen Mirren in ‘The Thursday Murder Club’. Photo Credit: Giles Keyte / Netflix. © 2025 Netflix, Inc.
“Cozy Crime” is a genre appellation that some storytellers bristle at, invoking images of basic British TV detective series featuring quirkily named old folk digging into crimes in bucolic countryside landscapes. But when fully embraced and exploited for full entertainment value, it’s one that pays dividends.
And, on the face of it, ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ could feel like it slots right alongside those sorts of shows –– you could even imagine it airing as a series on Sunday nights on the BBC. Yet this is a big-budget, star-driven movie that has even more to offer.
Script and Direction
Chris Columbus attends the NYC Special Screening of ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ on August 14, 2025 in New York City. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix.
Osman’s book launched a successful series of books and a healthy reading audience, so naturally there was pressure from the start to get the adaptation right. Fortunately, screenwriters Katy Brand (‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’) and Suzanne Heathcote (‘Killing Eve’) nail the tone and the basics while making any necessary changes as the story shifts mediums.
The mystery itself is solid and intriguing, and while you might be able to guess some of the elements, it doesn’t spoil the enjoyment.
In reality, it’s the characters you end up rooting for, and the screenplay features more than enough wittiness and charm to make them work on the page, even before considering the quality cast attached.
Chris Columbus certainly has experience bringing beloved British books to screens, and with ‘Thursday Murder Club’ he largely keeps things balanced and stays out of the way of the plot. Aside from some stylish flashbacks to another case, and some great tricks to keep you guessing on the crime front, the movie unfolds without fuss.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Helen Mirren, Sir Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan, and Celia Imrie in ‘The Thursday Murder Club’. Photo Credit: Giles Keyte / Netflix. © 2025 Netflix, Inc.
It’s not every murder mystery that can boast the talents of Academy Award-winning actors, and this one really makes the most of its cast.
Helen Mirren is the perfect Elizabeth, a former MI6 operative who can’t shake her investigative training even if she is now living in a retirement home. Imperious, impatient and occasionally impolite (though usually only when she’s frustrated with others), Elizabeth also has a vulnerable streak, not least when dealing with her husband Stephen (a superb Jonathan Pryce), who is struggling with creeping dementia.
Pierce Brosnan, meanwhile, gets to show off his comedy chops along with his trademark gruff charisma as Ron, a trade union leader who is a key member of the club.
Also on the team is retired psychologist Ibrahim, played by Ben Kingsley, who applies his training to figuring out motives and schemes. It’s a welcome change of gear for the actor, who puts in an appealingly nervy, quiet performance.
Celia Imrie’s former nurse Joyce is the new recruit, brought aboard for her medical background and willingness to go along with Elizabeth and co’s ideas –– even when they conflict with local law enforcement.
(L to R) David Tennant and Henry Lloyd Hughes in ‘The Thursday Murder Club’. Photo: Giles Keyte/Netflix. © 2025 Netflix, Inc.
Around the core cast, a solid group of British character actors adds flavor and spice to the story, including the likes of Ackie (who is a friendly police constable) and David Tennant (as a loathsome property developer whose latest deal threatens the sanctity of the Club’s Cooper’s Chase retirement home.
Others include Daniel Mays as DCI Chris Hudson, endlessly confounded by our heroes’ meddling and Tom Ellis, who is Ron’s son Jason, a famous fighter sidelined by injury who has found fame on TV.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Henry Lloyd Hughes and Helen Mirren in ‘The Thursday Murder Club’, which will launch on 28th August 2025 exclusively on Netflix. Photo: Netflix.
‘The Thursday Murder Club’ is an effective, well-crafted example of the murder mystery genre, one that celebrates its source material while also making smart decisions about turning the story into a movie.
Chances are the film will have you hoping for a spin-off series, but with a batch of books in Osman’s novel series, we may have to settle for more movies.
But if any further movies can keep up the blend of crafty mystery and genuine emotion on display here, it’ll be a good day for Cozy Crime in general.
‘The Thursday Murder Club’ receives a score of 85 out of 100.
(L to R) Sir Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim Arif, Pierce Brosnan as Ron Ritchie, author Richard Osman, Helen Mirren as Elizabeth Best, Celia Imrie as Joyce Meadowcroft and director Chris Columbus on the set of ‘The Thursday Murder Club’. Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024. © 2025 Netflix, Inc.
What’s the story of ‘The Thursday Murder Club’?
Four irrepressible retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Thursday Murder Club’?
- Helen Mirren as Elizabeth Best
- Pierce Brosnan as Ron Ritchie
- Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim Arif
- Celia Imrie as Joyce Meadowcroft
- Naomi Ackie as Donna de Freitas
- Daniel Mays as DCI Chris Hudson
- Tom Ellis as Jason Ritchie
- Jonathan Pryce as Stephen Best
- David Tennant as Ian Ventham
(L to R) Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Sir Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, and Naomi Ackie in ‘The Thursday Murder Club’. Photo Credit: Giles Keyte / Netflix. © 2025 Netflix, Inc.
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