Fans have been left raving about a star-studded new Netflix movie, calling it a ‘breath of fresh air’.
The Thursday Murder Club landed on the streaming platform yesterday, based on Richard Osman’s best-selling novel of the same name.
The murder mystery follows residents of a retirement home who spend their free time solving cold cases.
However, things take a thrilling turn when they are thrown into a real crime right on their doorstep.
Dame Helen Mirren, James Bond legend Pierce Brosnan, Sir Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie led the A-list cast as sleuths Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim and Joyce respectively.
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Naomi Ackie, Richard E Grant, Tom Ellis, David Tennant and Daniel Mays made up the rest of the line-up, while Chris Columbus served as director.
Despite only being on Netflix for a matter of hours, the flick soared straight to the top of the charts to claim the number one spot.
It has also been met with rave reviews from critics, and currently claims a 75% Rotten Tomatoes score.
RT user K D praised: ‘The Thursday Murder Club is a breath of fresh air. The cast are fantastic, and the storyline keeps you engaged from start to finish.
‘What I really appreciated was that it managed to be entertaining and clever without relying on unnecessary violence, sex scenes, or swearing. Just a great mystery with heart and wit. Highly recommend!’
‘I love this cozy murder mystery, both in book format and film,’ Telma C said. ‘I have been looking forward to this film for a long time and it did not disappoint.
‘The chemistry between the four main lead characters is just perfect and the Coopers Chase retirement home looks amazing, not to mention the llamas.’
‘Epic cast, who don’t disappoint, and a beautifully set version of this story,’ Cilla W said. ‘Though, sadly the movie has missed the great humour in the book, leaving it as a very pleasant watch at best.’
Hannah A agreed: ‘Your classic British murder mystery! Cheeky, suspenseful, sarky and dramatic. I enjoyed the books a lot so was really looking forward to the film adaptation and I was not disappointed.
‘I understand why they left certain aspects out of the film and still think the general character of the book came across really well. I definitely recommend it!’
As Mike P added: ‘A delightful romp of a murder mystery lead by a delightful group of actors. My only complaint is I really want a piece of cake now!’
Chris, who previously directed Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films, recently shed light on his experience working with such a legendary cast.
During a Q&A session after the New York premiere, the filmmaker revealed that they were all the first choices for their roles – which he had only ever experienced when previously working on the wizarding franchise.
‘The interesting comparison, ironically, is that on Potter, we made a list of all of our first choices – Dame Maggie Smith, Richard Harris and Robbie Coltrane – and they all said yes,’ he recalled.
‘That has not happened to me in 20 years, until this book. And it was Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, and they all said yes.’
‘It inspires you to only want to work with British actors because they say yes,’ he quipped.
‘It was a labor of love … because when I walked in the first day of rehearsal, when we were reading through the script, the four of them were sitting there, and it was 160 years of British cinema, and it’s very intimidating.
‘I could hear my voice [shaking] and I had to get over that.
‘They just set such a level of trust. I felt trusted, and I hope you all felt trusted. It was just this level of trust that we all had through the course of the film. I think you can see it on screen, definitely.’
The Thursday Murder Club is available to stream on Netflix now.
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