The newest resident of Coopers Chase retirement village, Joyce (Celia Imrie), learns about the Thursday Murder Club the same way the audience does: while giving her daughter a tour of the grounds, they admire the sprawling gardens, the painting and archery classes, and even the jigsaw room. But when she opens the door expecting to find seniors hunched over puzzle pieces, she instead finds the members of the titular club poring over photos of a grisly cold case from the 1970s.
Joyce, a recent widow in search of community, is in luck, as you can see in the sneak peek above: The Thursday Murder Club needs someone with medical expertise, and with Joyce’s past career as a trauma nurse (as well as her offering of delectable sponge cake), she earns temporary membership. Watch her initiation into the club — and the types of cases these unlikely gumshoes solve — above.
Based on the bestselling book by Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club is adapted by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote and directed by Chris Columbus (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). Osman was inspired to write the novel after visiting his mother’s retirement village and pondering the expectation “that you’ve reached a certain stage in your life and that’s it,” he says. “[The Thursday Murder Club] have lived these extraordinary lives. Take these people who are underestimated, who have these incredible skills, put them together, and they can achieve anything.”
The film takes place at a quaint country estate and stars some of the UK’s most renowned actors. Helen Mirren (The Queen, Gosford Park) plays ex-M15 spy Elizabeth, the steadfast leader of the crew. Speaking to Tudum, Mirren, who described the novel as “unputdownable,” immediately connected with Elizabeth, noting how intuitive the process of getting into character was. “For once I thought, ‘I’m just going to be myself,’ ” says the Academy Award-winning actor. “The best Elizabeth I can be is just to be who I am.”
Pierce Brosnan (The World is Not Enough, Mamma Mia!) plays good-humored former labor organizer Ron, who isn’t afraid to get into character to help with a case. “I love that he’s like a bull in a china shop at times,” says Brosnan of his character.
As Ron’s best friend, Ibrahim, Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More) found a balance that made his character an ideal detective. “He’s clearly empathetic because he’s a psychiatrist and he needs to interpret patterns of human behavior,” says the actor. “Now he can bring those same skills to a forensic quest to solve unsolved police cases through empathy, knowledge of patterns of human behavior, compassion, and imagination.” Rounding out the club is newcomer Joyce, played by Imrie (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Diplomat). “Where a retirement village could seem like the end, she gets here and it’s actually uplifting and fun and she finds friends,” says the actor.
After all, Mirren points out that her posse’s hobby stems from a universal place of curiosity and care about the world around them. “One of the things that keeps one alive and engaged in life at whatever age you are is a curiosity and questioning about the world, and a sense of constantly learning,” she says.
Says Brosnan, “You’re dealing with life and death, and it’s coming from the perspective of people who are in their 70s and 80s. You have to find the answer to the crime, why that person took another person’s life, and the meaning of that. But it’s about the humanity of these men and women and the unexpected relationships that unfold.”
But, Imrie notes, “Friends are so important when you get to a certain age. So, it’s a rather wonderful blossoming for everyone, actually.”
The Thursday Murder Club streams Aug. 28 on Netflix.
