When the debut novel from a top TV presenter becomes a record-breaking best seller and no less than Stephen Spielberg snaps up the rights for the film, it’s a dead cert there’s a big hit on the way. Netflix clearly thinks so. And now The Thursday Murder Club has arrived on our screens, the one question on their minds will be “how big?”
Written by Richard Osman, the co-presenter and brains behind quiz show Pointless, The Thursday Murder Club was a publishing phenomenon in both the UK and the US. It sold over a million copies in each country when it was published in 2020 and topped both best seller lists, as well as attracting positive reviews for its humour, characters and the mystery at its core. With all those boxes ticked, a further three books followed and a fifth is due towards the end of September, in time for all those Christmas lists.
It's also been described as reviving “cosy crime” – think amateur sleuths like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot or, further afield, Alexander McCall Smith’s Mma Ramotswe – which has captured audiences of all ages thanks to its warmth, humour and comforting escapism. In Osman’s world, we enter the luxurious setting of Coopers Chase, a retirement home that, with its many activities and lush grounds, looks more like a five-star country hotel.
The film version starts with a trio of residents who meet every week to exercise their minds by solving cold cases. Former high-ranking government agent Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), retired psychiatrist Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley) and one-time radical trade unionist Ron (Pierce Brosnan) are poring over some crime scene photographs when they’re interrupted by a new arrival, Joyce (Celia Imrie). When Elizabeth realises she used to be a nurse, she invites her to bring her medical knowledge to the club’s meetings. Now a gang of four, their skills are put to the test for real when the owner of Coopers Chase is murdered. The prime suspect is his business partner, who has always wanted to convert the property into luxury apartments, so, with the help of local police officer Donna DeFreitas (Naomi Ackie), they set about finding the killer – and saving their home.
It's a top drawer cast, one that also includes David Tennant, Richard E Grant, Jonathan Pryce and Daniel Mays and, in truth, they all look as if they’re having as much fun as the audience, without having to try too hard. The familiar tropes are all there, especially Mays’ portly police inspector who struggles to keep up with everybody in all senses of the phrase, and it’s coupled with an endearingly self-deprecating sense of humour. Elizabeth being told by her husband that she looks “just like The Queen” is a show-stopper.
And, while they’re protected from the outside world by the wrought iron gates at the end of the drive, they’re very much of the 21st century with their mobile phones and Joyce’s bakery skills, which wouldn’t be out of place on a certain TV show that returns next week. Her mouthwateringly generous portions of sponge would bring a twinkling smile to Paul Hollywood’s face.
With a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 87% so far, Netflix must be looking forward to a similar response from audiences. Many of the reviews so far have pointed out the film’s shortcomings – that it feels like a throwback to the 70s, that Brosnan is miscast as a former trade unionist, that it’s undemanding and punctured with plot holes – but they all agree when it comes to its entertainment value. The production values are high – who wouldn’t want to live in Coopers Chase? - the story is an enjoyable head-scratcher and Home Alone director, Chris Columbus, has created a film which pays affectionate tribute to its many partners in cozy crime.
While the original novel has been credited with making the sub-genre popular again, in truth, it’s never really left our screens, regardless of size. Most recently, Kenneth Branagh spearheaded the return of an outrageously moustached Hercule Poirot to the big screen in three lavish, all-star productions. As throwbacks to the glamour of the 20s and 30s, they proved popular with audiences, but there’s no sign of another return for the Belgian sleuth in the near future.
Meanwhile, on TV, cozy crime has had an update with recent shows, including the Columbo-esque Elsbeth and High Potential, about a crime-solving cleaning lady. Both are heading for second seasons.
So will The Thursday Murder Club be the start of a new franchise, one that means cozy crime is back as one of the most popular film sub-genres? There’s no official word yet, but Helen Mirren has already indicated that she, and the rest of the cast, would “jump at the chance” of a sequel, at the very least.
Time will tell but, if it turns out to be the hit Netflix is hoping for, we may not have to wait too long to find out. In the meantime, cake anybody?
The Thursday Murder Club is now on Netflix in the US and UK.
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