The Thursday Murder Club has already become one of the most intriguing releases of 2025. It is a suspenseful thriller directed by Chris Columbus, renowned for iconic films like Home Alone and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The film marks a new collaboration between Netflix and Amblin, founded by Steven Spielberg.
Based on the bestseller by Richard Osman, the film tells the captivating story of four eccentric retirees who, instead of resting in their retirement home, devote themselves to solving cold cases, with a generous touch of British humor. The film’s greatest strength, which we’ll come back to, is certainly its top-tier cast. [TRAILER below]
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The Thursday Murder Club – All you need to know
- Director: Chris Columbus
- Story: Based on a book by Richard Osman
- Screenplay: Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote
- Country: USA
- Original language: English
- Production: Jennifer Todd, Chris Columbus
- Executive Producers: Jo Burn, Richard Osman, Eleanor Columbus, Holly Bario, Jeb Brody
- Cast: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes
The Plot of The Thursday Murder Club
In a quiet retirement community in England, four friends — Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron — spend their free time investigating unsolved crimes. However, a real murder shakes up their lives, pushing them to put their detective skills to the test. In a race against time, these amateur detectives embark on an adventure full of revelations and plot twists, blending refined English humor with the suspense typical of a police thriller. Working with such an experienced cast, director Columbus wanted to balance humor, suspense, and emotion, resulting in a touching, entertaining, and gripping adventure.
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“There’s a wonderful mystery at its core, so mystery fans will be very happy,” Columbus says. “But thematically it’s interesting that we’ve got four elderly people who are living in a retirement community and who are fascinated by death and murder. They are facing their own demise, yet at the same time they are obsessed with studying cold cases. I fell in love thematically with that. It’s comedic, but it’s also very emotional.”
The Stellar Cast of the Film The Thursday Murder Club
The cast is truly outstanding and, in this regard, director Chris Columbus himself told Tudum: “This is the best cast I’ve worked with since Harry Potter. They are incredibly prepared, and that’s because they do everything: theater, television, film.” Helen Mirren plays the charismatic Elizabeth, bringing gravitas and elegance to the role. Former 007 Pierce Brosnan is Ron, a former trade unionist full of spirit and courage.
Celia Imrie plays Joyce, a seemingly naive but extremely intelligent former nurse. Ben Kingsley plays Ibrahim, a former psychiatrist with a brilliant mind. These actors, winners of Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe awards, bring an incredibly high level of performance to the film.
Other Cast Members
Beyond the four stars just mentioned, the film also features a wide array of supporting characters, including Tom Ellis, the star of Lucifer, and Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes, The Crown). Here are the other cast members:
Ingrid Oliver (Doctor Who, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging)
Celia Imrie (Marigold Hotel, The Diplomat)
Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)
Daniel Mays (Atonement, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget)
Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Anna Karenina, Chevalier)
David Tennant (Doctor Who, Inside Man)
Paul Freeman (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hot Fuzz)
Geoff Bell (RocknRolla, Kingsman: Secret Service)
Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Withnail and I)
Richard Osman’s Novel
The film is an adaptation of the 2020 bestselling novel written by Richard Osman. The author was inspired by the retirement home where his mother lives. As he told Tudum: “You sit and talk with these people, and you find out they’ve lived extraordinary lives. They tell incredible stories, gossip, and share so much wisdom.”
And again: “You think: ‘These people are so underestimated.’ The idea that thanks to their experience and invisibility they might be perfect for solving a crime is the essence of the Thursday Murder Club. People everyone takes for granted, but who have incredible skills: together, they can achieve anything.”
When Does The Thursday Murder Club Premiere on Netflix?
The Thursday Murder Club is available on Netflix starting August 28, 2025.
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The Trailer
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