Was the mystery in ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ way too easy to solve?
Whenever you watch a murder mystery, the goal is rarely to enjoy the ride and often to solve it before the protagonist does. And what does a murder mystery really need? A clever setup, an eccentric cast, and a final reveal that makes you gasp. The Thursday Murder Club certainly had the first two.
This Netflix adaptation of Richard Osman’s hit novel gave us a charming setting and four retirees with sharp minds. Now it was natural for us to expect that the plot would be twisty. But when it came to the actual mystery? That’s where things took a different turn.
Let’s be honest altogether: the ending was predictable. The breadcrumbs weren’t just scattered; they were practically signs pointing to the killer. For a genre whose goal is to keep the audience second-guessing, the film gave its biggest secrets away far too easily. Halfway through, it was already clear where the story was headed, and by the final act, there was little left to surprise anyone paying even casual attention.
That predictability wouldn’t sting so much if the rest of the film hadn’t worked so well. The cast, led by effortlessly brilliant actors, delivered warmth and wit in every scene. The banter between the characters felt quite authentic, and the film captured the heart of Osman’s cosy crime world. But you see, a mystery can’t just lean on charm. It needs to be, well, mysterious.
Every reveal in the movie was tied up so neatly, and every character who looked suspicious turned out exactly as expected. There were no sharp left turns, no real gasp moments, and that’s a letdown for fans who came looking for clever twists. In short, The Thursday Murder Club felt more like comfort food than a nail-biter. It was satisfying, but not exactly thrilling.
Does that make it unwatchable? Not at all. In fact, the film succeeds beautifully as a warm, character-driven story. The joy of watching four retirees outsmart detectives and dive into danger is still intact, and the humour remains sharp. For many viewers, that will be enough. But for mystery lovers, the ones who live for jaw-dropping reveals, it is hard to shake the sense that this case was solved long before the final scene.
So, was the mystery in The Thursday Murder Club way too easy to solve? The answer is yes. The film delivers warmth and wonderful performances, but the whodunnit element never reaches the heights it could have. Instead of keeping us guessing, it let us stroll comfortably toward the finish line.
And maybe that’s the real takeaway: if you are watching it for the puzzle, prepare to be underwhelmed. But if you are watching it for the company or for the laughter, the heart, and the friendships at the centre of it all, then The Thursday Murder Club is still worth pulling up a chair for.