Netflix loves its murder mysteries, as demonstrated by the streamer going all in with Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” sequels. The streaming giant hoped to replicate the formula with “The Thursday Murder Club,” a quirky adaptation of Richard Osman’s 2020 novel that stars Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, and Pierce Brosnan. Directed by Chris Columbus of “Home Alone” and “Harry Potter” fame, “The Thursday Murder Club” follows four pensioners — Elizabeth Best (Mirren), Ron Ritchie (Brosnan), Ibrahim Arif (Kingsley), and Joyce Meadowcroft (Imrie) — who work together to attempt to solve a murder at their retirement village, Coopers Chase.
Despite a warm critical reception (the film secured a snazzy 77% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and a star studded cast, the movie isn’t turning out to be the mega-hit Netflix may have imagined. According to FlixPatrol, as of September 12, 2025, “The Thursday Murder Club” slipped out of the domestic top 10 charts. By comparison, “KPop Demon Hunters” continues to prove that it’s far from done, done, done, as it still occupies the number two spot on the list, despite it being on the platform a few months longer than the retirement home murder mystery.
So, what’s the problem here? Even though “The Thursday Murder Club” received a good reception from reviewers, the general audience hasn’t been as enamored with the movie. At the time of this writing, the audience rating is 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, lending credence to the perception that this isn’t a movie fans of “Knives Out” have to watch.
What are the chances of a Thursday Murder Club sequel?
Richard Osman has already penned four literary sequels to “The Thursday Murder Club” novel, and the author has revealed that he has no plans to stop in the near future. That’s great news for those waiting for more mysteries for Elizabeth Best, Ibrahim Arif, Ron Ritchie, and Joyce Meadowcroft to solve on the page. The question is, will there be more movies on Netflix?
Speaking to PA Media in August, prior to the film’s release, Chris Columbus touched on the idea of directing a sequel. “It’s all based on how many people watch the film over the first weekend, and we will know in about 10 days if we’re making a sequel,” he said. “[A]s far as I’m concerned, and I don’t want to speak for everyone else, but I would come back in a second.”
Ten days have come and gone with no official news on a follow-up adaptation, but don’t give up hope yet. Despite “The Thursday Murder Club” dropping out of Netflix’s domestic charts, it’s still a global hit. As per Netflix’s top 10 chart, it was still the number three movie in the world in the first week of September, proving that international audiences are tuning in, so it’s probably a little too soon to write off the pensioners at Coopers Chase just yet — Brosnan and the gang might be back for more sleuthing after all. And who knows? Maybe “The Thursday Murder Club” will en up becoming one of the best mystery movies streaming on Netflix over time.