One upcoming Netflix movie, the Richard Osman adaption The Thursday Murder Club, will be ideally suited to fans of the iconic mystery author Agatha Christie. As surprising as this may sound to some readers less familiar with the author’s output, Agatha Christie is one of the best-selling authors of all time. The creators of Poirot and Miss Marple might not have single handedly invented the murder mystery genre, but she did codify many of the tropes that came to define the cozy crime sub-genre. The best Agatha Christie adaptations bring these pivotal elements to vivid life onscreen.
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Christie’s writing lightened up the morbid subject of murder with quirky protagonists, colorful suspects, and a tight writing style that snuck some one-liners in amidst all the accusations and cover-ups. While Christie’s work was ingeniously plotted, her stories are as well-remembered for their heroes as their twist endings. Like the Knives Out movies, Christie made sure readers wanted the unconventional detective to emerge victorious just as much as they wanted the villain brought to justice. This same combination of warm comedy and ostensibly dark subject matter makes one upcoming Netflix movie a promising prospect for fans of Christie’s oeuvre.
Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club Movie Will Be Perfect For Fans Of Agatha Christie Stories
The Richard Osman Novel Adaptation Is A Cozy Comedic Whodunit
Adapted from Richard Osman’s novel of the same name, The Thursday Murder Club is a cozy murder mystery following a group of retirees who investigate cold cases for fun. Directed by Home Alone helmer Chris Columbus, The Thursday Murder Club stars Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Pierce Brosnan, and Helen Mirren. The cast of The Thursday Murder Club alone is a good reason to watch the movie, but the success of Osman’s novel series also gives viewers good reason to think that the Netflix movie might be a fun homage to Agatha Christie’s inimitable style of murder mystery storytelling.
The often-underestimated members of the titular Thursday Murder Club used ageist attitudes to their advantage.
The Thursday Murder Club’s sleepy setting belies a surprisingly dark plot, and the story’s fusion of warm-hearted character comedy and fast-paced mystery plotting makes for a winning combination. The often-underestimated members of the titular Thursday Murder Club used ageist attitudes to their advantage, much like Miss Marple often played up her flightiness to get the better of smug villains. The Thursday Murder Club could rival the Knives Out franchise when it comes to starry casting coups, but it will be the chemistry between the movie’s characters that decides whether this adaptation sinks or succeeds with fans of the books.
The Thursday Murder Club Will Rival Netflix’s Own Knives Out Franchise
The Knives Out Movies Are Also Fun Homages To Agatha Christie’s Classic Mysteries
Many of Christie’s screen adaptations had starry casts, from 1974’s production of Murder on the Orient Express through to 2021’s Death on the Nile. This is something that the Knives Out movies borrowed and now The Thursday Murder Club now seems set to take the same approach. As such, Netflix could end up in a funny situation where the streaming service owns the rights to two rival cozy murder mystery movie franchises. Since The Simpsons already spoofed the movie before the movie’s trailer was even released, it is fair to say The Thursday Murder Club is highly hyped.
- Director
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Chris Columbus
- Writers
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Katy Brand
, Suzanne Heathcote
, Richard Osman
, Ol Parker
, Adrian Wenner