One group of very smart senior sleuths solve some shocking unsolved crimes in Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club.
Based on Richard Osman’s novels of the same name, the cozy murder mystery follows the residents of Coopers Chase retirement community as they gather weekly to try and solve decades-old cold murder cases with forensic files given to them by their old friend and former police officer, Penny (Susan Kirkby). The club is composed of Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley) and new resident Joyce (Celia Imrie).
The film, which released on Thursday, August 28, opens with the club attempting to solve a murder case from 1973 about a man named Peter Mercer who claims a masked burglar killed his girlfriend, Angela Hughes, after throwing her out a window. Their plans get derailed, however, when a fresh corpse turns up – that of Tony Curran (Geoff Bell), one of the co-owners of the retirement home.
When Joyce hears over the radio that Tony has been found dead following a fight over the selling of the Coopers property with the other co-owner, Ian Ventham (David Tennant), the club knows that it’s up to them to find answers — leading them to a much more complicated web of deceit than they ever expected.
Uncover the Biggest Differences in ‘Thursday Murder Club’ Movie and Book
Warning: Spoilers below for The Thursday Murder Club.
Keep scrolling to find out who else dies, who killed who and more:
Who Killed Tony Curran?
Curran, the co-owner of Coopers Chase, is killed by one of the retirement home employees, Bogdan (Henry Lloyd-Hughes).
The club initially suspects Bobby Tanner (Richard E. Grant), the mysterious third owner of Coopers Chase who has a long list of crimes under his belt. When Elizabeth goes to visit Tony hoping to get his confession, he admits that he, Tony and Ian brought workers into the country illegally and then took their passports against their will, but denies that he is behind Tony’s death. Elizabeth then remembers speaking to Bogdan, who is from Poland, about not being able to visit his sick mother because he didn’t have his passport. She immediately connects the dots, realizing that Bogdan had been working with Tony, who was pushing him into committing crimes.
Back at Coopers Chase, Elizabeth’s husband, Stephen (Sir Jonathan Pryce), who is suffering from dementia, is playing chess with Bogdan. Stephen casually comments that he thinks Bogdan killed Tony, and Bogdan admits to the crime, claiming it was a mistake and he never meant to kill him. While Bogdan thinks his confession will go unnoticed, it’s revealed that Stephen, amid his memory issues, has been taping his chess games, providing the evidence the Thursday Murder Club needs to prove Bogdan is guilty.
Who Killed Angela Hughes — And What Happened to Peter Mercer?
With Tony’s murder solved, there is still the question of Hughes’ death. Back in 1973, Mercer claimed a burglar murdered Hughes by throwing her out a window before subsequently disappearing, which led police to believe his claims. The only person on the force who was not convinced was Penny, who thought Mercer was the real killer, but her voice went unheard because she was a woman.
Back at Coopers Chase in present time, Mercer’s bones are discovered accidentally by Bogdan, who shows the skeleton to Elizabeth. Forensic testing later confirms the bones belong to Mercer, which causes Elizabeth to piece together that Mercer was the real killer of his girlfriend, Hughes, and that Penny, aware of his crime, killed him before reporting him as missing. Her husband, John (Paul Freeman), then helped her hide the body and cover up the crime in the cemetery next to Coopers Chase.
Who Killed Ian?
The second co-owner of Coopers Chase, Ian, is also killed after he orders Bogdan to dig up the cemetery — in plans of developing and selling the property — and discovers Mercer’s hidden bones. To prevent Ian from taking the evidence to the authorities, John kills him with a lethal dose of fentanyl, a drug he has access to because he was a veterinarian.
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What Happens to John?
Penny, who has previously suffered a stroke, is in hospice at the start of the film and John is taking care of her. After Elizabeth pieces together Mercer’s murder, she visits John, who is reading to Penny as she remains unconscious. The Thursday Murder Club then confronts John, who admits to the crimes and explains that he was just trying to protect his wife.
Instead of getting arrested, however, John ultimately doses himself and Penny with enough fentanyl to kill them both, so that they can die together. The film ends with the Thursday Murder Club at the couple’s funeral.
