In The Thursday Murder Club, four seasoned actors bring decades of experience and infectious joy to a cozy mystery about retirees dabbling in cold case sleuthing. While the plot itself may not break new ground, the film’s real delight lies in watching these masters of their craft revel in their roles, turning every scene into a captivating performance.
What You’ll Find in This Article:
- The Snapshot: The Thursday Murder Club in a Nutshell
- The Performances of Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie and Pierce Brosnan
- The Careers of The Thursday Murder Club Stars
The Snapshot: The Thursday Murder Club in a Nutshell
Four retirees solve cold case murders for fun, but their sleuthing hobby takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves in the midst of a real, actual whodunit (The Thursday Murder Club is now streaming on Netflix).
The Performances of Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie and Pierce Brosnan
There’s something special about seeing one brilliant old professional at work on screen. When an actor you’ve seen for years is really nailing it, losing themselves in the role and having a blast, the viewing experience can make you forget that you’re watching nothing more than a trifle.
Imagine how exponentially much more fun it is when there are four such performers in a single film, all of whom are well into their senior citizenship, and still at the top of their game. This is the thrilling reality of The Thursday Murder Club, starring Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie and Pierce Brosnan, who play the four amateur sleuths.
At 72 years old, Brosnan is the youngest of the four, which should tell you something. Combined, there’s over 200 years of professional acting experience among them, and it’s on full display here.
The story itself, based on a series of best-selling novels, is pretty straightforward. Four people living in a retirement community have a macabre and fascinating hobby: investigating unsolved murders, which positions them well for when someone they know is murdered.
The mystery is sort of humdrum and simple. There are a couple twists and turns, though none of them are terribly shocking, and in fact are secondary to the performances. That’s because the performances are what make this movie worth seeing.
As a murder mystery, it is tame. Mundane, even. Chinatown it’s not; but that doesn’t matter because of the joy that leaps off the screen, with every scene, featuring any combination of the four actors.
Mirren especially has an extra twinkle in her eye, playing a former spy who revels in the adrenaline rush of solving cases, both warm and cold. Brosnan, as well, looks like he’s having more fun as a former union leader than he’s had in many years. Perhaps, even, since he last played James Bond, in 2002.
Kingsley has been playing a lot more fun roles in recent years, not least of which is the con man Trevor Slattery in more than one Marvel Cinematic Universe film. He too is running around like a man far less than his 81 years.
It’s Imrie, though, whose step has perhaps the most extra special spring in it. Her Joyce is the center of the story — she is a recent arrival at the estate in the English countryside, is looking for friends, and has an adult daughter who is, to put it mildly, inattentive as she focuses on her career in high finance.
Joyce is a former trauma nurse, and it’s that background that leads the Murder Club members to seek her out. This essentially sets the story in motion, and from there it’s as much about watching these master thespians play off each other as it is finding out the identity of the murderer (or murderers).
Perhaps if there was more to the mystery, more substance to the film, one could take it a wee bit more seriously, but truth be told, it doesn’t matter. The film is a blast. It flies by and feels much shorter than its two-hour running time, precisely because it’s so enormously enjoyable seeing these people on screen together. Throw in smaller roles for other living legends like Richard E. Grant, Paul Freeman and Jonathan Pryce, as well as relative whippersnappers like Tom Ellis, Naomi Ackie and David Tennant, and the movie doesn’t just serve as entertainment, it’s pretty much a master class in acting.
The Careers of The Thursday Murder Club Stars
How do you do justice to the careers of these four?
Imrie’s is the least known of the bunch, but she’s been working as an actor for nearly 55 years. She has done a huge amount of English television, with lots of small movie roles mixed in, including a supporting role in the great ’80s actioner Highlander. She showed up again in Oscar fare like Hilary and Jackie and Bridget Jones’s Diary and the sequels, but through the years, TV has been her primary metier.
Imrie also worked with Mirren in the 2003 comedy Calendar Girls, made a mark in the sleeper hit The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and more recently starred as Pamela Adlon’s mother on the terrific FX series Better Things. Suddenly, at the age of 73, there’s some movie star in her, and her considerable charm makes that believable. She more than holds her own with her more accomplished costars, and indeed, often out charms them.
Speaking of her costars, how much do we really need to delve into their careers? Each is a legend in their own right.
Mirren and Kingsley are both Oscar winners with careers well into their sixth decade. Mirren won hers for playing the Queen of England, and Kingsley was frickin’ Ghandi. Yes, Ghandi. Meanwhile, Brosnan was James Bond, for crying out loud, so it’s not like we don’t know exactly who these people are and how good they have been.
Check out the movie on Netflix, and see for yourself just how great it is when people who are really good at what they do, are clearly enjoying the hell out of doing it.
Final Takeaways
For aspiring actors, there’s plenty to learn from the seasoned pros in The Thursday Murder Club. These veterans show that skill, joy and commitment to the craft can elevate even the simplest material. Here are a few takeaways to keep in mind as you build your own career:
- Embrace every role with enthusiasm.
- Develop strong chemistry with your fellow actors. Great performances feed off genuine connection.
- Keep honing your craft throughout your career. Experience is your greatest asset.
- Find joy in acting. When you’re having fun, the audience feels it too.
- Take on diverse roles to expand your range and keep your work fresh and exciting.
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