The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix draws mixed reviews

Netflix's adaptation of Richard Osman's bestselling novel The Thursday Murder Club, directed by Chris Columbus and produced through Amblin Entertainment, debuted on the streaming service on August 28 after a brief, limited theatrical roll out in late August. The film follows four residents of the luxurious Coopers Chase retirement community — Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley) and Joyce (Celia Imrie) — whose weekly hobby of solving cold cases erupts into a live investigation when multiple deaths and the discovery of old bones tie the community to a darker past.

The movie, scripted by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote and running about 118 minutes, relocates much of the action to Englefield House in Berkshire, with additional work at Shepperton Studios. With an ensemble that also includes Naomi Ackie, David Tennant, Jonathan Pryce, Tom Ellis and Richard E. Grant and executive production from Steven Spielberg's Amblin, the film was positioned as a familyfriendly, starry-minded take on the cozy whodunit.

Critical reaction has been mixed. Several reviewers praised the cast and the film's affable tone. Collider called it "delightfully charming" and...