Shadows on the Wall | The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club

dir Chris Columbus
scr Katy Brand, Suzanne Heathcote
prd Chris Columbus, Jennifer Todd
with Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Tom Ellis, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Richard E Grant, Paul Freeman, Geoff Bell
release UK 22.Aug.25,
US 29.Aug.25
25/UK Netflix 1h58

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Warm and cosy, this thoroughly British mystery comedy has sparky pension-age characters who continually do and say hilarious things as they unravel a series of murders. Based on TV host Richard Osman's beloved novel, the script is loaded with amusing observations and insinuations, although the whodunits at the centre are a bit too tidy to be satisfying. And we never expect many dark shadings from director Chris Columbus.

In the Downton-esque retirement home Coopers Chase on the edge of a picturesque village, Elizabeth (Mirren) and her friends Ron (Brosnan) and Ibrahim (Kingsley) gather on Thursdays to solve cold cases, this week a 1970s murder, and for this one they need nursing expertise from fellow resident Joyce (Imrie). Meanwhile, developers are plotting to sell their home, and one of the owners is murdered. So this foursome begins to investigate with the help of intrepid local cop Donna (Ackie), who is much smarter than her blustering detective boss Chris (Mays). Then another person drops dead.

There are plenty of contenders for the murderer, and lots of motives swirling around. Shady figures abound around Coopers Chase, including another owner (Tennant), a missing mobster (Grant), reality TV star (Ellis) and Polish handyman (Lloyd-Hughes). Elizabeth is also a dark horse who clearly has a relevant background for this kind of work. Her sleuthing consistently gets right to the point much more effectively than the police, and of course everyone underestimates the skills of this team of septuagenarians.

It definitely helps to have four acting icons in the lead roles. Mirren, Brosnan, Kingsley and Imrie add delightful character details at every turn, effortlessly playing up the underlying humour. Surrounding cast members are also terrific, most notably the always excellent Pryce as Elizabeth's husband, who is facing dementia. But then each of the side players gets a chance to shine on their own, and it's wonderful to see greats like Freeman (as a fellow resident) and Bell (as an owner) in action.

This isn't a movie that catches us by surprise with tricky, twisty plotting, although there are some sharply resonant points and slightly edgy jokes along the way. Nothing in these murder cases is particularly memorable, aside from a gentle note about how women can be sidelined in a male-dominated world. Instead, this is comfort cinema that keeps us pleasantly amused as it meanders through a winding tale about pensioners who prove that wit and experience still count for something in this world.

themes, language, violence 21.Aug.25

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