Television producer and presenter Richard Osman struck gold as a novelist with his 2020 best seller, “The Thursday Murder Club”. Not only was the book greeted with strong reviews, The Guardian called it “the fastest selling adult crime debut since records began“. His light yet intelligent work of crime fiction spawned three sequels that were released over the following three years. Now fans eagerly await the fifth installment that is due out later this month.

As we wait, director Chris Columbus and Netflix have delivered a feature film adaptation of “The Thursday Murder Club” and it is nothing short of a delight. It’s an adaptation full of spirit and with a level of charm that makes it irresistible. It also features a crackling cast that includes Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie – all so wonderfully in tune with the material and each other. And while it hardly reinvents the murder mystery wheel, nearly everything from its characters to its setting to its all-around vibe clicks cozily into place.

Built within a beautiful old abbey and its surrounded property, Cooper’s Chase is a luxurious retirement village for elderly folks with good pensions. Among the residence are three good friends who make up the Thursday Murder Club. They are a retired international spy, Elizabeth (Mirren), a retired high-profile trade unionist, Ron (Brosnan), and a retired psychiatrist, Ibrahim (Kingsley). Together the group of murder mystery enthusiasts pick out a current police cold case and attempt to solve it.

Their current case involves the murder of a young woman. Needing some medical expertise for their ‘investigation’, the group recruits a new resident, a retired nurse named Joyce (Imrie). But before they can dig into their case, they’re sidetracked by the news that a ruthless and corrupt land owner, Ian Ventham (David Tennant) wants to shut down Cooper’s Chase and turn it into a luxury resort. The co-owner and operator, Tony (Geoff Bell) vows to fight for their home. But when he turns up dead, the club realize they have a more pressing murder case on their hands.

While the super sleuthing is a lot of fun, it’s what happens around it that gives the movie some weight. The four club members each have their own family side stories which the film cleverly uses to speak about aging. When not combing over evidence, Elizebeth is taking care of her beloved husband Stephen (Jonathan Pryce) who’s struggling with dementia. Ron is so enamored with his celebrity son Jason’s (Tom Ellis) fame that he can’t see the young man’s struggles. Joyce and her daughter Joanna (Ingrid Oliver) haven’t communicated well since the death of her husband. Meanwhile Ibrahim keeps quiet about his family past until just the right moment.

Other supporting players give good performances to help round out the story. Naomi Ackie is a fine addition playing Donna, a frustrated constable who has grown tired of making coffee and handing out parking tickets. Daniel Mays is a lot of fun playing the lead detective investigating Tony’s murder. And even Richard E. Grant shows up in a small but chilling role as a major crime kingpin who may or may not have connections to the murder.

Among the many reasons for the film’s success are screenwriters Katy Bland and Suzanne Heathcote. While their script happily embraces a number of stock whodunnit tropes, they avoid the commonly overused elderly archetypes, even poking fun at them on occasions. Their treatment of Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim, and Joyce is a breath of fresh air. These aren’t overly sweet grannies or amusingly grumpy grandpas. Bland and Heathcote imbue their characters with grit, personality, intellect, and emotional sincerity. The veteran actors take it from there, wonderfully breathing life into this endearing foursome.

Perhaps its story is a bit overstuffed. Maybe the ending is too tidy and the final moments a tad too saccharine. Yet “The Thursday Murder Club” never pretends to be something it’s not. Despite the presence of murder, the film is self-aware enough not to take things too seriously. Its tone is breezy and easygoing with no shortage of good-natured humor. But what sets it apart is its treatment of its leads. They’re presented as real people with real personalities. And they’re vibrantly portrayed by a top-notch ensemble who drive this smart and satisfying crowdpleaser. “The Thursday Murder Club” is streaming now on Netflix.

VERDICT – 4 STARS