Richard Osman, TV presenter and producer, turned his hand to writing and achieved international success with his murder mystery, The Thursday Murder Club. Becoming a phenomenon, Steven Spielberg instantly bought the rights, brought on board Home Alone director Chris Columbus, and assembled a cast to die for, entering into a deal with Netflix to present the film. The result is a resounding disappointment, and no matter how many top names are involved, it fails at every point.

A group of residents at an exclusive retirement home fill their time investigating cold cases that the police have failed to close. When the home comes under threat from a ruthless developer, and one of the owners is murdered, the Thursday Murder Club get to take on an ongoing case, to the annoyance of the local police. Still, they seem to be doing a better job of identifying the killer.

The basic premise is a fairly decent one. Retirees take up their time becoming amateur detectives, solving cases from the past that find themselves entangled in a new one. Think Murder, She Wrote, but instead of Jessica Fletcher working alone, we get four people who bring something unique to the table. However, the execution is woefully poor, considering the calibre of those involved. The issue seems to be two-fold.

I haven’t read the original book by Richard Osman, a man whom I like and who seems to be a wise and witty man, but from speaking to others who have read the book, they have found it thin and almost throwaway. The transition from page to script seems to suffer from the same problems, as the screenplay comes across as nearly amateurish. Katy Brand, comedian and writer of Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, and Suzanne Heathcote, had the task of bringing the book to the screen, and some of the dialogue sounds false and unconvincing, sometimes so bad that it’s jarring. It also lacks humour, which is a surprise considering Brand is a talented and funny comic. Could this be a case of getting this film out as quickly as possible to capitalise on the success of the book, or did the script suffer?

Columbus’s direction seems workmanlike, but it has that sheen of an American trying to capture the essence of a Britain that no longer exists. The retirement home resembles Downton Abbey, and the locations appear to be set in traditional, old-fashioned local villages with that air of quaintness. The police station seems set in post-war Britain rather than the 21st century. In fact, you could argue that it’s surprising to find a village police station still open.

Maybe the stellar cast can save it? Difficult considering the material they are working with. Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, the leader of the Thursday Murder Club, answers the question, Where did DCI Jane Tennison from Prime Suspect go?. She is the primary focus of the film, and she does well to keep an air of dignity. Pierce Brosnan as Ron, a former trade union leader, is fine. At the same time, Ben Kingsley is poorly underused and Celia Imrie creates a perfectly likeable character as Joyce, the newcomer to the home and the team. David Tennant plays against type as a nasty land developer, but seems miscast; however, Daniel Mays, as the officer leading the case, steals the film from everyone with a tongue-in-cheek performance.

The Thursday Murder Club should have been a fun, cosy whodunnit brimming with charm and wit. Instead, it feels stale and takes itself far too seriously; with an ending that disappoints, it feels like a complete letdown. If there is to be a follow-up, perhaps a better script and some humour would be beneficial. Must try harder.

2 out of 5

Director: Chris Columbus

Starring: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Jonathan Pryce, Tom Ellis, David Tennant, Paul Freeman, Richard E. Grant, Ingrid Oliver, Geoff Bell

Written by: Katy Brand, Suzanne Heathcote and (based on the novel) Richard Osman

Running Time: 118 mins

Cert: 12A

Release date: 28th August 2025

Available on Netflix