Movie · 2025 · Comedy, Mystery, Crime · 1h 58m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 2.1/10 (365.2K ratings)
Join the club.
Overview
A group of senior sleuths passionate about solving cold cases get plunged into a real-life murder mystery in this comic crime caper.
Ratings
Curator score: 2.1/10
IMDb: 6.5/10
Letterboxd: 2.96/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Metacritic: 60
TMDB: 6.6/10
Director
Chris Columbus
Production
Amblin Entertainment, Maiden Voyage Pictures, Jennifer Todd Pictures
Cast
Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, David Tennant, Jonathan Pryce, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Richard E. Grant, Tom Ellis, Geoff Bell, Paul Freeman, Ingrid Oliver, Joseph Marcell, Martin Bishop, Ruth Sheen, Will Stevens, David Garlick, Gary Bates
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A breezy, star-driven mystery with a cozy retirement-home premise and some genuine comic charm, but it sounds more pleasant than sharp. The appeal is in the ensemble chemistry and the novelty of elderly amateur sleuths, while the plotting and moral logic seem uneven.
Best for
fans of cozy crime capers
viewers who like ensemble comedies with veteran casts
people in the mood for an easy, low-stakes mystery
audiences who enjoy British-set whodunits
Skip if
you want a tightly engineered mystery
you dislike broad, glossy streaming-style comedy
you need high suspense or real menace
you are bothered by flimsy plotting or soft consequences
Overview
The Thursday Murder Club is built on an appealing premise: a group of retirees treating cold cases like a hobby until a real killing lands in their lap. That setup gives the movie instant charm, and the cast is clearly having fun leaning into the banter, eccentricity, and lightly subversive age-defying energy of the concept.
Worth noting
What seems to hold it back is the mystery itself, which plays more as a pleasant diversion than a truly satisfying puzzle. The tone lands somewhere between cozy caper and polished streaming crowd-pleaser, with enough wit to keep things moving but not enough bite to make the story feel especially sharp.
Bottom line
If you want an undemanding crime comedy with recognizable stars and a warm, autumnal vibe, it should go down easily. If you’re hoping for the cleverness or snap of the best modern murder mysteries, this looks more like a light companion piece than a standout entry in the genre.
Top Letterboxd reviews
lucy (2.5★) · 10989 likes
some very questionable morals on display here
you let the human traffickers go???? but the old man and his wife had to die????????
Nicole (3★) · 8078 likes
A film made to be watched in the liminal space between Christmas and New Year
Sol (3★) · 4895 likes
knives out, teeth in
Hamish Calvert (3★) · 4187 likes
the only murder i saw was celia imrie absolutely killing her “what the fuck” line delivery
Erinn🐇 (3★) · 3587 likes
love that pierce brosnan took us on a regional tour of the uk with that accent x
2012 · Drama, Comedy, Romance · 1h 38m · PG-13 · Curator 3.7/10 (7.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Starz, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A gentle, age-centered ensemble comedy that balances wit, melancholy, and affection for its characters.