THURSDAY MURDER CLUB, THE

(director: Chris Columbus; screenwriter: novel by Richard Osman, Katie Brand, Suzanne Heathcote; cinematographer: Don Burgess; editor: Dan Zimmerman; music: Thomas Newman; cast: Helen Mirren (Elizabeth), Pierce Brosnan (Ron), Ben Kingsley (Ibrahim), Celia Imrie (Joyce), Naomi Ackie (Donna de Freitas), Daniel Mays (Chris Hudson, police boss), Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Bogdan), Tom Ellis (Jason), Jonathan Pryce (Stephen), David Tennant (Ian Ventham), Geoff Bell (Tony Curran), Richard E. Grant (Bobby Tanner), Ingrid Oliver (Joanna); Runtime: 118; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producers: Jennifer Todd, Chris Columbus; Netflix; 2025)

“Breezy whodunit on seniors as amateur sleuths.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Chris Columbus (“Home Alone”/”Rent”) affectionately directs this breezy whodunit on seniors as amateur sleuths. It’s based on the novel by the TV comedian Richard Osman, and is smartly written by Katie Brand and Suzanne Heathcote. The bitter-sweet charmer comes with a peppy ensemble cast, as each character gets a chance to shine.

At an upscale retirement home, Coopers Chase, in England’s countryside, the polite, stern and feisty Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), a former MI6 agent during the Cold War, leads on Thursdays a group from the retirement facility solving cold murder cases. The group consists of the psychiatrist Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), the former union organizer Ron (Pierce Brosnan) and, the newest member, the ex-nurse and cake connoisseur Joyce (Celia Imrie).


Things take a tragic turn when one of the retirement home’s co-owners is murdered. It’s now possible for the surviving partner Ian Ventham (David Tennant) to sell the property to a developer of luxury apartments if he wants to make a killing.


The group eagerly partner with the ambitious and competent young detective Donna de Freitas (Naomi Ackie) to solve the case before it becomes cold and they lose their home.

REVIEWED ON 9/7/2025  GRADE: B
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