Aahana Swrup
The Chris Columbus murder mystery film ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ presents a riveting puzzle with equally compelling unofficial investigators on the case. In the retirement home Cooper’s Chase, a group of retirees, Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim, and the latest addition, Joyce, meet up every Thursday to try to solve cold criminal cases together. However, they’re forced to broaden their horizons when the mysterious death of co-owner Tony Curran puts the fate of the nursing home in danger. Thus, finding a reliable collaborator in the under-utilized cop, Donna de Freitas, the club takes on the mission of decoding the fresh case and catching the killer on the loose. The Netflix movie employs all the makings of a good whodunnit to capture the audience’s attention, inviting them to solve the mystery alongside the delightful protagonists. As the plot unravels, realistic themes of hidden crime, exploitation, and conspiracies emerge, grounding the narrative in a realistic foundation.
The Thursday Murder Club is Based on a Richard Osman Novel
‘The Thursday Murder Club’ is an on-screen adaptation of an eponymous book written by Richard Osman and published in 2020. The novel, the first installment in the expansive ‘Thursday Murder Club’ series, tells a near-identical story about mystery-inclined senior citizens who engage in an investigation at a retirement village. The story’s appeal relies on the charming central characters, all of whom make for unlikely unsanctioned detectives. Osman’s work dives into the fascinating inner lives of a gang of seventy-somethings, bringing a new element to the tried-and-tested genre of whodunnits. Simultaneously, it retains a familiar air of Agatha Christie-like mystery that enhances its sense of authenticity.
Naturally, given the literary roots of the story, ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ presents a challenging foundation for a movie adaptation. In fact, the author himself once agreed that a literal, most faithful adaptation of his work would require up to eight hours of runtime. Fortunately, the project had a promising future in the experienced hands of Chris Columbus, who has previously worked on multiple book-to-movie adaptations, including the first two ‘Harry Potter’ installments. “Chris (Columbus) is great with book adaptations; he understands when something has the reverence that this book has,” Producer Jennifer Todd told Netflix. “He was really smart about not letting us change things that weren’t necessary, and his professionalism, his ease, and his positivity just made it such a delight to work with him.” Thus, with Columbus as the writer, helming a script penned by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote, the film remains a faithful adaptation of its beloved literary source material.
Richard Osman Took Inspiration For His Work From Real Life
Through its unique cast of protagonists, ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ carves out a distinct space for itself in the whodunnit genre. Interestingly enough, author Richard Osman took inspiration from his own life to create this premise of a mystery-solving gang made up of retirement home residents. The novelist’s mother, Brenda Wright, resides in a retirement house herself, one situated in Sussex, England, at St George’s Park. Naturally, as a frequent visitor to the establishment, Osman came to learn about the rich lives of its residents.
“You just sit and chat with these people, and they’ve lived these extraordinary lives,” Osman shared in a conversation with Netflix.” You hear these amazing stories, and gossip, and wisdom. You think, these people are so overlooked. The idea that these people with their wisdom and their invisibility would be the perfect people to solve (a crime) is exactly where ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ comes from. Take these people who are underestimated but who have these incredible skills, put them together, and they can achieve anything.” Chris Columbus builds upon this same realistic, yet riveting foundation, channeling the story’s authentic roots on the screen. As such, even though Osman wasn’t directly involved in shaping the creative approach to the on-screen adaptation, limiting his involvement to executive producing and occasional set visits, the film remains linked to his story’s sense of realism.
The Thursday Murder Club Touches Upon Some Realistic Themes
Most of the narrative elements in ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ remain a work of fiction that retains sole connection to its literary counterpart. As a result, there are no direct links to be made between the on-screen characters and real-life individuals or events. Nonetheless, the story finds ways to shape its narrative to reality, allowing space for off-screen comparisons. For instance, a significant aspect of the mystery that unravels in the story stems from UK-based businesses and their attachments to migrant exploitation. The horrible phenomenon remains a lived reality prevalent in he modern socio-economic landscape of England.
As per reports, 2024 saw a sixfold rise in care workers reporting complaints against their employers, accusing them of financial exploitation through repayment clauses under threats of deportation. Similarly, there have also been cases of migrant workers facing poor living conditions, violation of labor rights, and threats of violence while being forced into exploitative labor. Consequently, in 2024, the UN put out a statement sharing their concerns over migrant labor exploitation in the UK. Through the statement, the organization said, “This is unlawful and highlights the need for urgent reform of the current system governing labour migration, to ensure effective protection of the rights of migrant workers.” As such, the film’s inclusion of this real-life issue into the heart of its criminal mystery underlines an actual real-world complication, grounding its criminal storyline in reality.
Read More: Where Was The Thursday Murder Club Filmed?
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