One of the top-selling thrillers of 2020, Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club was set in a swanky home for seniors, called Coopers Chase. Far from being a sad, depressing place, that such retirement communities are usually portrayed as, this one was buzzing with activity. A group of seniors led by Elizabeth, with a mysterious past and a know-it-all attitude, have formed a Murder Club that meets every Thursday to solve cold murder cases, for their own entertainment. The police files were given to them by a former cop, Penny Gray, who now lies comatose in a nursing home. So, when the group gets a chance to solve a real murder in the vicinity, they perk up. The first novel was so popular that Osman wrote three more. What the books did was break all those sappy poor oldie stereotypes; the respect it accorded to seniors actually triggered off a small avalanche of books with elderly protagonists.
The witty and charming book was just begging to be turned into a film, and Steven Spielberg’s production company snapped up the rights, getting Chris Columbus to direct. Who else could play Elizabeth (former MI6 chief), but the indefatigable Helen Mirren. The others– retired nurse and hobby baker, Joyce (Celia Imrie), trade unionist Ron (Pierce Brosnan, former 007) and psychiatrist Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley of Gandhi fame)– are perfectly cast and bring star heft to their parts. Jonathan Pryce plays Elizabeth’s husband, suffering from dementia, but still sharp as a tack.
Coopers Chase is in danger of being shut down and turned into luxury flats by one of the greedy developers, Ian Ventham (David Tennant), and the residents are understandably perturbed. Then, Ventham’s partner (Geoff Bell), opposed to the destruction of the retirement home, is found dead. The Murder Club, excited by the opportunity to solve a real case, manipulate a young female cop, Donna (Naomi Ackie) into helping them, as her bumbling boss, Chris Hudson (Daniel Mays), does not know what hit him The “pensioners” are actually smarter and more resourceful than the cops who condescend to them due to their age. Then Ventham is also killed, and the plot thickens. Who is the invisible third investor in Coopers Chase, and who benefits from the deaths of the two partners?
As it usually happens, the film does not quite capture the loony energy of the book; the condensed movie adaption is enjoyable, but also bland. The cast of elderly stars (Mirren turned 80 this July, and wears her years lightly) is absolutely marvellous. The younger characters include Joyce’s hedge fund manager daughter (Ingrid Oliver), Ron’s sports star son (Tom Ellis), and the helpful Polish immigrant, Bogdan (Henry Lloyd Huges), who role is curtailed in the film, but he goes on to become a permanent fixture in the sequels of the novel and also gets a surprise love interest. So, for that matter, does Hudson.
The hope is that the other books in the series will also be adapted for the screen. It’s very rare that old people get to have so much fun.
The Thursday Murder Club
Directed by Chris Columbus
Cast: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie and others
On Netflix