I’ve always wanted to visit Coopers Chase, and thanks to the new Netflix movie version of The Thursday Murder Club, based on the hit novels, I can be right in the heart of the UK’s fanciest (and probably most desirable) retirement home.
The good news is that this makes me neighbors with Helen Mirren (Elizabeth), Pierce Brosnan (Ron), Ben Kingsley (Ibrahim) and Celia Imrie (Joyce). The bad news is that somebody’s died.
Just as well, really. Our awesome quartet meet weekly to try and solve cold cases, with with a clumsy detective (Daniel Mays) first on the scene, who’s better equipped to investigate the death of one of their own? Obviously, they all get much more than they bargained for, but that’s half the fun.
For me, The Thursday Murder Club is easily the best slice of content that’s new on Netflix in August 2025, and I’m not just saying that because I want the novel’s author Richard Osman to think I’m cool. In fact, I’d go as far as saying the new movie is even better than the book series… but be warned, there are distinct differences.
Why I recommend streaming The Thursday Murder Club this weekend
Far too often, our bingeable movie options are either hard-hitting dramas with no let-up, or really, really twee content that’s too silly to be taken seriously. Sometimes I want a mix of both, and that’s exactly the sweet spot where The Thursday Murder Club sits.
Light-hearted and endearing drama with a murder mystery packing a punch at its center, the new movie effortlessly covers all of its bases, and it’s satisfying even if you’ve worked out what’s to come. This is largely down to the gobsmackingly stacked cast, with David Tennant, Richard E. Grant and Tom Ellis just some of the names included in the ensemble.
You don’t have to work too hard to understand or enjoy what’s going on, and each character is exactly how I pictured them while reading the book. Having said that, the movie has unsurprisingly cut large chunks out of the initial plot.
Donna’s (Naomi Ackie) mother and eventual boyfriend are nowhere to be seen, but perhaps that signals a potential second movie further down the line (if the other books didn’t already hint at that).
To top it all off, The Thursday Murder Club is directed by Chris Columbus, the man responsible for hits like Mrs. Doubtfire, Home Alone and Gremlins. When he gets behind the camera, you know you’re going to feel the heart and goodness radiating from every single frame on screen.
Couple him with the leading quartet, who have been among my favorite actors for the last few decades, and there’s instant magic at your fingertips. If Netflix keeps delivering original movies of this caliber, there’ll be no doubting it as the best streaming service around today.
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jasmine.valentine@futurenet.com (Jasmine Valentine)
