Critics Are Saying The Same Thing About Netflix's Adaptation Of The Thursday Murder Club

Richard Osman's cosy mystery The Thursday Murder Club is coming to Netflix next weekThe reviews are out for the long-awaited movie adaptation of Richard Osman’s best-selling cosy mystery novel The Thursday Murder Club.On Friday, The Thursday Murder Club arrived in select cinemas in the UK, ahead of its widespread Netflix release next week.As such, critics have begun having their say on the much-hyped film, which stars Dame Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Sir Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie as a group of retirees who devote their time to resolving unsolved mysteries.Many reviews have compared the film to a Sunday night ITV drama (even Dame Helen’s character makes this meta reference within the film itself), but whether or not that’s praise or criticism depends on which review you read.Some of the more scathing critiques also question the film’s originality, while more glowing praise comes from those happy that the movie captures the cosy vibe of the book.Here’s a selection of what’s been said about The Thursday Murder Club so far...Radio Times (3/5) “What we have here is a tale that, were it to be deprived of its stellar cast, would fit snugly in the weekend schedules alongside the murderous yet somehow comforting goings-on in the likes of St Mary Mead or Midsomer [...] as a piece of filmmaking, The Thursday Murder Club is cleanly rather than cinematically directed by Chris Columbus, to the extent that it feels, as Joyce suggests, like its story ought to have been told across several episodes of a series rather than in a single movie.”The Telegraph (2/5) “Steven Spielberg’s production company snapped up the film rights even before the first novel had been published. Chris Columbus, of Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films fame, is the director. Note, too, that it was financed by Netflix: no Scrooges in budgetary matters. So why, then, has the film been carried off with all the cinematic flair of a Sunday night ITV2 serial from 2006?”Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan and Celia Imrie in The Thursday Murder ClubThe Independent (2/5) “No matter how enticing the prospect may sound on paper, and even with the efforts of director Chris Columbus (of Home Alone and Mrs Doubtfire fame), the whole affair is so flimsy you’ll lose nothing from watching it on an iPad while cooking dinner.”TheWrap“The Thursday Murder Club just feels like Columbus took a cozy British mystery, cranked it to MAXIMUM QUAINTNESS, and walked away. Instead of finding distinctions that would give this film a personality, we’re left with some rather weak tea.”The Guardian (3/5) “A funny and likable, if slightly bland, comedy-drama for Netflix, which as one character amusingly and pre-emptively comments, feels just like a Sunday teatime TV crime drama [...] when the plot has to accelerate to the point of pure daftness in its final act, the movie resembles not so much a Sunday night crime serial, but a weekday afternoon kids’ TV show. Nothing necessarily wrong with that of course.”The Hollywood Reporter“It is as gentle as a game of Clue and as cosy as an Agatha Christie novel, but its glittering cast and a touch of self-awareness make up for that lack of originality. This modestly entertaining film is uncool and filled with stock tropes, but it doesn’t pretend to be anything more.”The Mirror“The murder mystery itself felt slow-paced at times and appeared to tick many of the classic cosy crime boxes that we’ve seen in countless other series and films, however you’ll quickly fall in love with the characters - and if you’re like me, find yourself surprisingly moved.”The Sun (4/5) “The tone is whimsical, full of ITV Sunday night charm – and while sleepy in its rhythm, the film is peppered with sly humour. The cast’s charisma carries the quieter moments, though some may find their dynamic more gripping than the murder.”The Daily Mail (4/5) “Thank heavens this movie adaptation is great, or there might have been a (well-behaved) riot [...] For those worried that this quintessentially English charmer might be going to get some sort of ghastly Hollywood makeover, let me put your mind at ease. They haven’t messed it up.”The Times (4/5) “There’s a heavy euthanasia subplot that’s retained from the book, and a suicide too. These elements are unavoidable, dark and disturbing, and they invest the surface comedy with a tragic undertow. Yes, we’re chuckling at old folks in action, but we’re uncomfortable too, and consistently, quietly, sad.”The Thursday Murder Club is in select cinemas now, ahead of its arrival on Netflix on Thursday 28 August.READ MORE:These Are Our 12 Top Picks Of The New TV Shows And Films To Stream On Netflix In August 2025Richard Osman Defends Pierce Brosnan's Casting In Thursday Murder Club MovieThis Trailer For Netflix's Gripping New Mystery Is Jam-Packed With UK National Treasures

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Critics Are Saying The Same Thing About Netflix's Adaptation Of The Thursday Murder Club

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