THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB

There's been plenty of iconic murder mysteries in British media over the years, from the works of Agatha Christie that have been adapted multiple times in film and TV, to long-running shows such as Midsomer Murders. When a new creation comes along trying to get in on the crowded market, it feels as if something special has to be done for a major mark to be made. The Thursday Murder Club arrives off the back of the best-selling novel series written by Richard Osman, and with Netflix backing it, it's set to muscle its way in without any resistance.

Four retirees (Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie) spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands.

It's easy to see why an idea like this has taken off with readers around the world. Even without reading it, having four elderly people take solving murders into their own hands sounds like a great idea. Why then does the film feel intent on being low-key and cheap? From the off, there's a playful nature to the film that plays off as parody more than a serious film in the genre - the calibre of actors leading it making it feel more like a Comic Relief sketch than anything else. There's nothing wrong with having fun at all, and this might just be me, but it's a little distracting having such high profile actors in a film like this. If you're going to have them in it, make it feel like a film rather than a Sunday afternoon drama made for TV.

After a bit of a wobbly start, things do pick up for the better when the narrative takes a darker turn. The trouble is, the film is over not long after it feels like it's getting going - the twists and turns it takes along the way only drawing you in for the final reveal, which sadly feels a bit underwhelming when it arrives. As a Netflix film, it has that horrible cheap and fake look to it that is so off-putting, which feels criminal when there's so much money behind it in the first place. This takes place in such a grand setting yet there's no sense of that throughout as everything just looks mundane.

The four leads have trouble really selling their characters if I'm being totally honest. Helen Mirren is probably the best at it as Elizabeth Best but even then she just feels as if she could be playing herself. The best scenes are those she shares with Jonathan Pryce, who plays her husband, in moments that bring some emotional depth to proceedings. Celia Imrie is clearly having a ball but it's hard to believe someone would be so happy for a murder to happen just so they can have something to do at their club. It's Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley who have the hardest sells though, and the results aren't great. Brosnan seems to struggle with more comedic elements while Kingsley overcompensates if anything, making for a tough watch at times. Outside of them, it's a real who's who of British talent where no one wants to go above and beyond to stand out.

All in all, The Thursday Murder Club is a passable film that I left feeling should and probably could have been much better. In a world where the likes of the Knives Out films prove there's plenty of life in the murdery mystery yet, this just feels a little lifeless in comparison.

Verdict: ★★½