Another 9 1/2 Weeks (1997)

I’ve always considered myself not just a cinephile, but also a bookworm. And if there’s one book series that has utterly stolen my heart, it’s Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club. Five novels deep (with the latest set to release this September), this series has been my constant companion—comforting, witty, and endlessly clever. As a devoted fan, I often daydreamed about what it might look like on the big screen. Would the right director capture its tone? Would the casting live up to the vivid pictures in my imagination? For once, the universe answered my prayers: Steven Spielberg greenlit the adaptation, and Chris Columbus—the man behind Harry Potter, Home Alone, and Mrs. Doubtfire—took the director’s chair.Now, Columbus’ involvement may initially suggest a lighter, more comedic spin, smoothing out the darker edges of Osman’s sarcastic, sharp whodunits. And indeed, that’s exactly what we get: a film more in line with “cozy mystery” than the biting satire of the novels. But here’s the joy—when the cast is this good, when the chemistry crackles, and when the characters feel alive, it hardly matters that the tone shifted.

A year and a half ago, my book club opted to read The Thursday Murder Club, a mystery novel by Richard Osman about a group of retirees who dedicate their free time to solving cold cases. When someone dies in their own neighborhood, the puzzles become personal. I admit I didn’t particularly enjoy the book—the weight of cozy mystery to actual clues to solve wasn’t balanced enough for me to fully invest. However, when I saw that Netflix released a movie adaptation starring Helen Mirren, I jumped at the opportunity to watch.

The story starts when Joyce (Celia Imrie) moves into a retirement home and meets the members of the Thursday Murder Club, Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), and Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley). Her arrival coincides with the news that the owners of Cooper’s Chase are planning on selling the entire community and kicking everyone out. The residents are irate, of course. The drama escalates when the only man with the power to stop the sale ends up murdered. From there, the Thursday Murder Club partners with police officer Donna (Naomi Ackie) to help solve the mystery.