I’m always surprised to learn when a movie is based off a book or some other form of media.
If I like the film enough, I might look into reading said book or series, but more often than not, I can get away with just reading a synopsis.
It’s also harder when the movie leverages more on its comedic banter than what I’m used to when it comes to crime films – Netflix’s “The Thursday Murder Club” is a prime example of this.
And, yet I still found myself enjoying the storyline overall and was glad to see such an interesting lineup of actors and actresses.
It also flows well and even though the overall villain is easily discovered, at least the senior citizen’s antics more than make up for any possibility for boredom.
Murder Club is a crime comedy film directed by Chris Columbus from a screenplay by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote, based on the 2020 novel by Richard Osman.
The film stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie with David Tennant, Jonathan Pryce, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Richard E. Grant, Tom Ellis, Geoff Bell, Paul Freeman, Sarah Niles, Susan Kirkby, and Ingrid Oliver in supporting roles.
At just 118 minutes long, the movie is rated PG-13 for violent content/bloody images, strong language and some sexual references.
At the Coopers Chase retirement village, psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif (Kingsley), former trade union leader Ron Ritchie (Brosnan), and mysterious Elizabeth Best (Mirren) are members of the Thursday Murder Club (TMC), which meets weekly to discuss old cold cases.
They are soon joined by Joyce (Imrie), a retired nurse and new resident, whose medical knowledge proves useful.
The group is inspired by a case once handled by Detective Inspector Penny Gray (Kirkby) in 1973, now comatose in hospice, involving the unsolved murder of Angela Hughes.
Recently transferred from London, Police Constable Donna De Freitas (Ackie), visits the village and strikes up a friendship with the TMC.
She confides that her work feels tedious and boring, so the club eagerly draws her into their investigations.
Meanwhile, conflict brews over plans to redevelop Coopers Chase into luxury flats.
One of the owners, Ian Ventham (Tennant), pushes the project forward, while his partner Tony Curran (Bell) opposes it, promising the residents that he will block the sale.
Shortly afterwards, Tony is murdered in his own home, his house ransacked and the murder weapon missing.
After the news of Currna’s death the airwaves, the TMC resolves to investigate.
With Donna’s help, they learn that local crime boss Bobby Tanner (Grant) is secretly involved in the business, but has long been thought to be dead after disappearing a few years earlier.
Things get even more complicated and interesting when the TMC finds out that Ron’s son Jason (Ellis) once worked with Tony.
Suspicion briefly falls on Ian, but he is soon ruled out with an alibi.
During a residents’ protest, Ian himself collapses and dies from a fentanyl overdose, leaving Tanner the sole owner.
Unfortunately, Jason is arrested though the evidence against him proves weak and he is soon released.
Elizabeth then develops a cautious friendship with Bogdan (Hughes), a Polish handyman employed at the village.
It seems like the TMC is trying to solve far too many incidents at once and there is a brief period where everything is muddled up before the storyline straightens things out.
Overall, the ending is happy enough and left open for a possible sequel – so why not give it a chance yourself?
