SERIES REVIEW – Death hovers over The Thursday Murder Club not only because its members obsess over homicide cases, but also because they themselves live in a retirement community where mortality is never far away. Chris Columbus’ adaptation of Richard Osman’s 2020 bestseller doesn’t reinvent the whodunit wheel, but it does deliver a charming, witty, and occasionally poignant ride. Guided by Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley, the series balances dark themes with wry humor. Imperfect though it may be, it offers more than enough intrigue and star power to justify two hours of a Netflix binge.

The story centers on retirees who refuse to go quietly into old age and instead set out to prove that they still have fire in their bellies. Columbus’ direction favors warmth and levity, and while the execution shows cracks, the ensemble’s magnetism more than compensates. With Mirren, Brosnan, and Kingsley commanding the screen, the show has the kind of credibility and sparkle that keeps viewers engaged even when the material stumbles.

A New Neighbor, an Old Case

Despite the protests of her hedge-fund manager daughter Joanna (Ingrid Oliver), Joyce Meadowcroft (Celia Imrie) moves into Coopers Chase in search of companionship. It doesn’t take long for her to stumble upon Elizabeth Best (Mirren), Ron Ritchie (Brosnan), and Ibrahim Arif (Kingsley), who are hunched over a murder board plastered with photographs and clues. The case on their radar dates back to 1973, involving a mysterious woman in white who fell to her death under suspicious circumstances, with her shifty boyfriend pinning the blame on a phantom intruder.

Joyce’s unflinching reaction to the grisly images tips Elizabeth off that the newcomer once worked as a nurse. When that suspicion proves correct, she’s invited to join their circle, which was originally founded by Elizabeth and her best friend Penny, a police officer now bedridden and unresponsive, tended to by her husband John (Paul Freeman). Penny’s decline and the dementia of Elizabeth’s husband Stephen (Jonathan Pryce) serve as constant reminders of time slipping away, even as both women cling to whatever pieces of life they still can.

A Modern Miss Marple and Her Cohorts

The series doesn’t sugarcoat the sadness or fragility that comes with aging, but it pairs those truths with tenderness that makes its characters endearing. As Elizabeth, Mirren exudes authority and cunning, playing a commanding figure who feels like a contemporary, steel-edged Miss Marple. Brosnan and Kingsley provide color and levity: Ron is a rabble-rousing ex-activist who thrives on confrontation, while Ibrahim is a fussy psychiatrist whose pristine suit and bow tie tell you everything you need to know about his personality. Joyce slips into the group effortlessly, and her timing couldn’t be better, because trouble soon comes knocking at Coopers Chase. After the foursome witness co-owners Tony Curran (Geoff Bell) and Ian Ventham (David Tennant) in a heated spat in the parking lot, Tony turns up dead—bludgeoned to death.

With Ian mired in a bitter divorce and plotting to redevelop the property into luxury condos—plans that included exhuming the community’s cemetery, which Tony fiercely opposed—he becomes the prime suspect. Yet in true mystery fashion, nothing is straightforward. More bodies pile up, throwing suspicion on Ian’s contractor Bogdan (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) and Ron’s ex-boxer son Jason (Tom Ellis), who had worked for both men in the past. Columbus injects the proceedings with a jaunty rhythm, but the visuals are dulled by Netflix’s trademark dim lighting. The script, credited to Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote, ultimately proves to be the show’s weakest link.

Flat Dialogue, Strong Players

Though the plotting twists and turns, the tone veers too close to sitcom territory, weighed down by stilted, uninspired dialogue. Brosnan and Kingsley throw themselves into their roles with energy, but even they can’t fully rescue the limp writing. Richard E. Grant eventually enters the fray as a shady figure tied to Tony and Ian, while the club enlists PC Donna De Freitas (Naomi Ackie), a police officer whose backchannel arrangement with Elizabeth continually irks her superior, DCI Chris Hudson (Daniel Mays).

Despite some feminist shading courtesy of Donna’s involvement and a late-game revelation, the series never truly sharpens its edge, preferring to remain a cozy, crowd-pleasing diversion. Its two-hour runtime feels padded, and the rising body count doesn’t necessarily ratchet up the tension. The British acting royalty on display all get their moments, but the lack of bite in the writing keeps the whole affair from soaring.

Missed Punchlines, Missed Opportunities

With only a handful of age-related jokes and little genuine comic spark, the series puts its emphasis on the mysteries—which, despite their layered setups, lack ingenuity. The looming threat of Coopers Chase’s closure never convinces as a serious stake, and suspense remains in short supply. What keeps things afloat are the magnetic performances at the center. Even so, the show lays down a foundation that could easily support sharper, more daring installments down the road. If streaming has taught us anything, it’s that audiences never tire of tales of murder and mayhem—and with stronger writing, Mirren, Brosnan, Kingsley, and company could very well anchor a formidable over-65 sleuth squad.

-Gergely Herpai „BadSector”-