Netflix’s latest offering, The Thursday Murder Club, brings together a star-studded cast and a beloved book series in a film that’s as twisty as it is cozy. Released by August 29, 2025, and directed by Chris Columbus—whose credits include Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films—the adaptation of Richard Osman’s best-selling novel is already drawing viewers into the lush, deceptively tranquil world of Cooper’s Chase retirement community. With the backing of Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, the film was bound to have both pedigree and polish. But does it live up to the hype that’s been building since Osman’s book series launched in 2020?
At the heart of the story are four unlikely sleuths: Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), a former MI6 spy; Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), a psychologist; Ron (Pierce Brosnan), a union chief; and Joyce (Celia Imrie), a former ER nurse and the newest member of the club. Their headquarters? The Cooper’s Chase “puzzle room,” a cavernous, sun-drenched space brimming with jigsaw puzzles, board games, and the kind of plush comforts that make this fictional retirement community seem almost too good to be true. According to Decider, the setting is “ground zero for coziness”—think floral pillows, peagraveled garden paths, and even emotional-support llamas. It’s a world where the only thing more comforting than the soup is the camaraderie among the residents.
The Thursday Murder Club gathers weekly to tackle old cold cases, but when two real murders shake the management of Cooper’s Chase, their hobby turns into a high-stakes investigation. The victims are embroiled in a bitter dispute over land development—one wants to bulldoze the adjacent graveyard to make way for condos, while the other prefers to keep things as they are. The ensuing deaths set off a chain of events that’s equal parts mystery and mayhem, with a healthy dose of misdirection thrown in for good measure.
The film diverges from Osman’s original novel in several key ways, as highlighted by Deadline. For instance, Ron’s son Jason Ritchie (played by Tom Ellis) is arrested in the film—a departure from the book, where police lack sufficient evidence. Jason ultimately admits to having an affair with Ian Ventham’s (David Tennant) wife, but a timestamped photo provides him with an alibi. Notably, characters Karen and her father Gordon, who play significant roles in the novel, are omitted entirely from the adaptation. Meanwhile, the photographer Gianni Gunduz, known as Turkish Johnny and a major red herring in the book, is also absent from the film version.
Richard E. Grant’s Bobby Tanner, another business partner of the murdered Tony Curran, is given a darker edge in the film. Whereas his book counterpart is more subdued, the on-screen Bobby is menacing—sending threats to Elizabeth and orchestrating unsettling incidents to intimidate the club. In a pivotal scene, Elizabeth confronts Bobby alone (a change from the book, where Joyce accompanies her) and blackmails him into selling the property to an investor of her choosing, ensuring his hands remain clean in the murder investigation. It’s revealed that Bobby and Tony were involved in a human trafficking scheme, exploiting Eastern European workers by confiscating their passports—a subplot that gives the cozy crime narrative a sharper, more contemporary resonance.
One charming addition unique to the film is the gold medallion necklaces stamped with “TCM,” worn by the club members as a symbol of their bond. While these aren’t mentioned in Osman’s novel, they serve as a visual cue to the group’s unity and purpose. The fourth original member, Penny, is incapacitated in the hospice wing, prompting Elizabeth to recruit Joyce. The transition is seamless—Joyce’s background as a nurse and her unflappable demeanor make her the perfect fit for the club’s brand of amateur sleuthing. As Imrie’s Joyce quips, “Now we have a real case to solve. Isn’t it wonderful?”—a line that neatly encapsulates the film’s buoyant, can-do spirit.
Father Mackie (Joseph Marcell), another character given more air time in the book, is reduced to a brief cameo at a protest in the film, serving little purpose beyond background color. The film also shifts the circumstances around Bogdan Janowski (Henry Lloyd-Hughes), the Polish handyman who discovers a second skeleton in the graveyard. In both versions, Bogdan confesses to killing Tony Curran, but while the book frames it as a calculated act of revenge, the film portrays it as an accident during a confrontation over Bogdan’s confiscated passport. This change, along with the use of a recorder by Elizabeth’s husband Stephen (Jonathan Pryce) to capture Bogdan’s confession—owing to Stephen’s dementia—adds a layer of poignancy and complexity to the narrative.
Despite the intricate plotting, The Thursday Murder Club retains a lighthearted, comedic tone that is the hallmark of the “cozy crime” subgenre. As Decider notes, the film “just might be the coziest murder mystery ever,” eschewing graphic violence for gentle humor and sharp wit. The dynamic between Mirren’s wily Elizabeth and Imrie’s wide-eyed Joyce is particularly enjoyable, with the two actresses anchoring the film even as other cast members, like Brosnan and Kingsley, take a backseat. The screenplay, adapted by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote, walks a fine line between breezy entertainment and meaningful commentary, touching on themes of end-of-life care, dementia, and the exploitation of immigrants without ever losing its sense of fun.
Visually, the film is a feast of real-estate fantasy, with its sprawling, sunlit interiors and lush gardens. The supporting settings—library, bakery, IMAX cinema, and even a quadruple-Olympic-sized pool—add to the sense of escapist luxury. Yet beneath the surface, the story acknowledges the realities of aging, loss, and the power of community. The club members may be underestimated by those around them, but their determination and resourcefulness prove that age is no barrier to adventure—or justice.
It’s not all smooth sailing; some critics have pointed to the film’s cluttered final act and the overabundance of subplots, from end-of-life issues to criminal exploitation. Still, the overall effect is one of warmth, wit, and gentle intrigue. As Decider puts it, “Untimely death sure can be pleasant sometimes, can’t it?” For fans of the book, lovers of murder mysteries, or anyone in need of a comforting escape, The Thursday Murder Club is a streaming recommendation worth following.
