Book to screen: The Thursday Murder Club

When Richard Osman’s debut novel The Thursday Murder Club was first published in 2020, it took the world by storm. Breaking UK sales records, it brought the world of cosy crime to the mainstream. Subsequent titles have built up on this success with the four books in the series now having sold over 10 million copies. When the Netflix original movie was announced in 2024, it had fans, old and new, eagerly awaiting the chance to see their favourite pensioners solving crimes on the little screen.

The cast of The Thursday Murder Club (Courtesy Netflix)

With a star-studded cast of Dame Helen Mirren (Elizabeth), Pierce Brosnan (Ron), Ben Kingsley (Ibrahim), and Celia Imrie (Joyce), this movie was set to be one of the most anticipated book-to-movie adaptations in recent years. Also adding to the excitement was the news that Chris Columbus of Harry Potter fame would be directing this adventure of four pensioners in cardigans and tweed coats getting their sleuth on.

Set in Cooper’s Chase, a retirement community, the movie opens with Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim going over the latest case of their Thursday Murder Club. When they stumble upon a medical obstacle, they turn to Joyce. An ex-nurse who just moved in, she is overeager to help them. But when one of the co-owners of Cooper’s Chase is found killed in his house, they get their first live case to solve. As the narrative unfolds, the viewers get entangled in the goings on of a quaint British village where there’s a mystery behind every closed door.