I had finished reading ‘The Thursday Murder Club ‘ just a few weeks ago and what a pleasant surprise it was to have the movie release soon after and with ex-James Bond Pierce Brosnan starring in it , I had to check out the movie version.Here’s a comparison between Richard Osman’s original novel The Thursday Murder Club and its recent Netflix film adaptation, including who plays whom and how the performances landed.
For the uninitiated, The Thursday Murder club is a murder mystery set in a posh retirement community. The book derives its name from the club of four resident members namely Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim and Joyce who meet every Thursday to solve unsolved murders.Directed by Chris Columbus , this movie is 1 hour and 58 mins long.
Cast & Character Comparison
Characters in the Original Book
- Elizabeth Best – a sharp, resourceful ex-spy
- Ron Ritchie – a handsome former trade-union leader
- Ibrahim Arif – a retired psychiatrist
- Joyce Meadowcroft – a former nurse
- PC Donna de Freitas, DCI Chris Hudson, Bogdan, Bobby Tanner, John & Penny, and others appear as supporting and recurring figures.
Cast of the Netflix Film
- Helen Mirren portrays Elizabeth Best
- Pierce Brosnan as Ron Ritchie
- Sir Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim Arif
- Celia Imrie as Joyce Meadowcroft
- Naomi Ackie plays PC Donna de Freitas
- Daniel Mays appears as DCI Chris Hudson
- Henry Lloyd-Hughes plays Bogdan
- Richard E. Grant portrays Bobby Tanner
- Jonathan Pryce as Stephen Best, Elizabeth’s husband
- David Tennant as Ian Ventham
- Paul Freeman as John Grey
- Ingrid Oliver as Joanna Meadowcroft, Joyce’s daughter
How they Compare and What Impressed?
Helen Mirren as Elizabeth
Mirren steps into the role of the bold former spy with depth, delivering sharp wit while also balancing emotional layers—especially in the touching dementia subplot involving her husband. She even noted playing this fictional character was more challenging than portraying Queen Elizabeth, emphasizing the pressure to honor fans’ expectations.
Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley & Celia Imrie
All three bring charisma and warmth to their roles:
- Pierce Brosnan plays Ron , the Ex-Union Leader with charm and a sense of dry humor.
- Ben Kingsley infuses Dr. Ibrahim with quiet intelligence.
- Celia Imrie shines as Nurse Joyce, delivering gentle humor and heartfelt narration.
I loved the cast’s synergy and British charm.Brosnan still looks as handsome as ever and all these seasoned actors did justice to their roles.
Supporting Cast & Adaptation Choices
The film simplifies the book’s tangled narrative to fit a feature-length runtime. Some characters and subplots—like the romantic storyline and some minor figures—were reduced or omitted; others, like Bobby Tanner, received a darker role, ramping up the stakes and depending the suspense compared to the book.
I found some people criticising the movie for leaning more into coziness and charm rather than suspense. I feel both are important to make a movie watchable. The movie version has the right pace and enough suspense to keep the audience hooked though the book version is higher on dropping clues and fuelling imagination.
In the novel, a reader is free to embody the characters, whereas Netflix wins by casting cinema icons Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie to embody the characters. Elizabeth is a sharp, secretive ex-spy on the page; on screen, Mirren brings a cunning while adding layers of wit and emotional resonance. Supporting figures such as PC Donna, DCI, Bogdan, and Penny enrich the book’s tapestry, but in the film their arcs are streamlined—some retained, others simplified for clarity.
The book thrives on intricate subplots and a wide cast, while the movie condenses the narrative, sometimes heightening certain twists for dramatic impact. The tone in Osman’s writing blends cozy charm with genuine emotional depth; the film leans into light whimsy, powered by strong performances but more restrained in emotional weight. And while the book’s mystery unfurls in layered complexity, the film delivers a gentler, more comforting resolution—satisfying, though less suspenseful.
Final Thoughts
The Netflix adaptation captures the heart and charm of Osman’s novel through its stellar cast. Helen Mirren, Brosnan, Kingsley, and Imrie elevate familiar characters with warmth and nuance. However, fans seeking the book’s complexity—its many subplots and surprising twists—might find the film a bit too streamlined or gentle.This though was a plus for me as the book suffered from a slow narrative in the first half with too many characters.The book has many more small twists and hints which the movie skips but overall it does justice to the book and now whenever I will be reading another book in the The Thursday Murder Club series, these actors will keep coming to mind.
If you’re drawn to the performances and cozy atmosphere, the film delivers beautifully. But if you relish intricate detective work and character arcs, the original novel offers richer rewards albeit after the first hundred or so pages.
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This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Bohemian Bibliophile.
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