Netflix has its fair share of titles in the murder mystery genre, with the Knives Out franchise among its most popular releases. The streaming service is also about to treat fans to a brand-new film in the genre, The Thursday Murder Club.
The upcoming murder mystery is based on British television presenter Richard Osman’s novel of the same name, and, like Knives Out, it could also start a franchise. The novel is the first in a growing Thursday Murder Club series, which is set to receive its fifth novel, The Impossible Fortune, later this year. Ahead of the film’s release on Netflix on Aug. 28, The Thursday Murder Club debuted with a near-perfect 93% approval score from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film debuted with a perfect score of 100%, but it has dropped slightly to a still-stunning 93% as more reviews came in. The murder mystery has currently received 14 reviews, and only one is negative, but that could change as more opinions come through. Since the film has yet to hit Netflix, there is no audience score available at the time of writing.
Collider‘s Maggie Lovit highlights the similarities to the novel, explaining, “The Thursday Murder Club is a very straightforward mystery that some viewers will be able to solve in advance of the big reveal. The simplicity of the mystery allows audiences to focus more on the ensemble cast as they try to unravel the case, and that is where the best elements of the film lie,” calling it a “delightfully charming movie that hits all the highs of the cozy murder mystery genre without any of the negatives.”
ScreenRant‘s Rachel Labonte highlights the film makes some changes to the source material, “particularly when it comes to the ending,” explaining that “the movie takes a more conventional path than Osman did,” praising the fact that “the journey to that point is full of intrigue,” leading to an entertaining watch even for those who read the book, and praised the stunning cast, calling the actors “perfectly cast.”
MovieWeb‘s Julian Roman highlights “the cast’s superb chemistry and a clever script keep the laughs coming when the overstuffed narrative runs long,” praising all the actors, especially Naomi Ackie, as he notes, “It’s difficult to stand out among such luminous talent, but Ackie nearly steals the show.”
CBR‘s own Nicholas Brooks raved over the film’s stellar cast, as well as the “riveting mystery,” noting The Thursday Murder Club injects much-needed personality into the mystery genre” with its original take, praising both the leading and the supporting cast, highlighting “In the end, it’s the cast that makes The Thursday Murder Club work so well, and these actors bring decades of talent to roles that feel fun and alive,” and concluding Chris Columbus’ new film is the “perfect cozy mystery.”
The only negative review comes from The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin, who calls it a “nefariously lazy Netflix adaptation” that butchers the source material into a “half-hearted parody of a whodunnit,” noting that, “Perhaps due to these books’ extraordinary popularity,…such an adaptation was inevitable. Except no one could have foreseen that the result would be quite so thin and perfunctory; so nefariously lazy; so fiendishly pleased with itself.”
With Harry Potter‘s Chris Columbus at the helm and Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin Entertainment behind it, the murder mystery has a dream cast. The Thursday Murder Club stars Dame Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie in the leading roles as Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim, and Joyce, respectively. Its ensemble cast is filled with famous names like Naomie Ackie, Daniel Mays, Tom Ellis, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, and Richard E. Grant.
Book Author Richard Osman Defended Pierce Brosnan’s Casting
In The Thursday Murder Club novel, Ron Richie is widely different from Brosnan. A former union activist who is quick to anger, Ron is not exactly in the best shape, although he often refuses to use a cane. He is widely loyal, resourceful, and reliable, but he is also rash and hot-headed. Ray Winstone was usually fancast as the best option for Ron.
However, Richard Osman defended Brosnan’s casting and explained why the James Bond star is the best person to do it. “You have to do something unusual and different and interesting.” Osman told Empire, “Here’s the key thing about Pierce Brosnan playing Ron: Pierce Brosnan is who Ron would choose to play Ron. In the next book, I’ve got a scene with Ron and Ibrahim discussing who the best Bond is, and Ron is very much a Pierce Brosnan man. And Ibrahim is Timothy Dalton. For me, that’s the joy.”
The Thursday Murder Club premieres on Netflix on Aug. 28.
The Thursday Murder Club
- Release Date
-
August 28, 2025
- Runtime
-
118 minutes
- Director
-
Chris Columbus
- Writers
-
Katy Brand, Suzanne Heathcote
- Producers
-
Jennifer Todd, Steven Spielberg
-
Helen Mirren
Elizabeth Best
-
Pierce Brosnan
Ron Ritchie
-
Ben Kingsley
Ibrahim Arif
-
Celia Imrie
Joyce Meadowcroft
Source link
