Although Netflix’s upcoming murder mystery movieThe Thursday Murder Clubhas more than a passing similarity to theKnives Outfranchise, the Richard Osman adaptation also has something the earlier franchise doesn’t boast. DirectorRian Johnson’sKnives Outmoviesare critically acclaimed for a reason. The starry whodunnits managed to recapture the mood of author Agatha Christie’s funniest murder mysteries, with Daniel Craig’s hammy Benoit Blanc proving just as memorably quirky as Poirot or Miss Marple.
Even some ofthe best Agatha Christie adaptationscan’t rival theKnives Outmovies when it comes to pure whodunnit fun, so it would be tough for any murder mystery franchise to match their appeal. However, Netflix’s starry adaptation of author Richard Osman’s hit novel seriesThe Thursday Murder Clubintends to do just that.The Christie homageThe Thursday Murder Clubfollows a group of elderly retirement home residents who attempt to solve cold cases for fun and inevitably run into trouble when one of their mysteries starts to warm up.
The Thursday Murder Club Is More Poignant Than The Knives Out Movies
Rian Johnson’s Murder Mysteries Are Famously Playful
The Thursday Murder Clubunexpectedly finds themselves at the center of an active murder investigation as the novel’s action ramps up. Before long, they need to use their years of expertise to crack the case. On the surface,The Thursday Murder Clubsounds a lot like theKnives Outmovies. With Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, David Tennant, and Celia Imrie headlining the cast, director Christopher Columbus’s adaptation is clearly just as heavy on star power as Johnson’s franchise.
Compared toKnives Outand its sequel,Glass Onion,The Thursday Murder Clubis a lot less goofy and satirical and more sincere and moving.
However,The Thursday Murder Clubhas a secret weapon that theKnives Outmovies lack. Although the book is a cozy mystery, both the aging of the main characters and, crucially, the solution to the mystery itself are surprisingly sad and dramatic. Compared toKnives Outand its sequel,Glass Onion,The Thursday Murder Clubis a lot less goofy and satirical and more sincere and moving. WhereGlass Onion’s endingis a riotous, explosive affair,The Thursday Murder Club’s poignant conclusion is more likely to elicit tears than laughs.
The Thursday Murder Club’s Knives Out Differences Are Key To Its Success
Netflix’s Starry Upcoming Murder Mystery Movie Must Stand Out
It is a good thing thatThe Thursday Murder Clubdiverges from theKnives Outfranchise formula so clearly, since the two series are destined to be pitted against each other. TheKnives Outmovies are already a huge hit murder mystery franchise with starry casts and a quirky sense of humor, and Netflix’s upcoming Osman adaptation also fits this specific description. As such, it is a relief thatThe Thursday Murder Clubwill feel very different in terms of tone thanks to its sadder storyline.
The Thursday Murder Club’s plot owes as much to Agatha Christie’s later Poirot stories as it does to the playful goofiness of the lighter Miss Marple mysteries, which is a welcome change of pace. AlthoughThe Simpsonsalready spoofedThe Thursday Murder Clubwell before the movie’s release, the novel’s story is far from entirely light-hearted and silly. The plot incorporates themes of ageism, living with dementia, the ethics of medical assistance in dying, and other complex, heavy topics.
The Thursday Murder Club’s Poignant Tone Mirrors Its Agatha Christie Influence
Christie’s Murder Mysteries Were More Moving Than Readers Remember
Osman’s book feels a lot like one of Poirot’s later adventures, which have an elegiac feel to them as Christie prepares to permanently retire the famous detective with his last case. In contrast, theKnives Outfranchise often feels like a live-action cartoon and this is clearly an intentional stylistic choice. With 2005’s underratedBrick,Johnson proved he could make a compelling, deadly serious detective story without losing his quirky sensibilities and wit. As such, viewers know theKnives Outmovies are meant to be over-the-top and comedic by design.
The Thursday Murder Club’s poignant undertones will make it stand out among recent murder mystery movies, particularly now that Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot trilogy has reached its end. Although theending ofA Haunting In Venicedid see Branagh incorporate some of the sadness from Christie’s later stories, the first two movies in the series were more bombastic. Unlike Branagh’s Poirot movies,The Thursday Murder Clubwill be outright comedic and, if it is anything like the source novel, will rely on character comedy to drive many pivotal scenes.
The Thursday Murder Clubshouldn’t have trouble emerging from the shadow of theKnives Outfranchise.
However,The Thursday Murder Clubcan differentiate itself from Netflix’s other star-studded murder mystery comedy series with its sadder story elements. It is these touching moments that made Osman’s novels a global success despite their distinctly British cultural references, and it is the same humanity that allowed Christie’s work to endure for decades after Poirot’s final case. As such,The Thursday Murder Clubshouldn’t have trouble emerging from the shadow of theKnives Outfranchise.
