10 Mystery Movies To Watch if You Love Netflix’s ‘The Thursday Murder Club’
The summer box office, which featured major franchise installments like The Fantastic Four: First Steps, James Gunn’s Superman, Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth, and more, has officially come to an end. As fall rears its sepia-toned head and the Gilmore Girls theme plays on televisions across the world, thoughts turn to the exciting slate of movies set to grace the big screen this season. However, the biggest arrival so far hasn’t been on the big screen, despite having a small theatrical release across the pond.
The long-awaited adaptation of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club finally made its debut at the end of last month and unsurprisingly topped the streaming charts. Across the world, millions tuned in to watch Ron Ritchie (Pierce Brosnan), Ibrahim Arif (Sir Ben Kingsley), Elizabeth Best (Dame Helen Mirren), and Joyce Meadowcroft (Celia Imrie), crack the case and save their home. For those who loved it and want more like it, here are the mystery movies to watch if you love Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club.
‘Knives Out’ (2019)
For lovers of a murder mystery movie, there is no better modern recommendation than the film that began the sub-genre’s renaissance. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, the indulgent Knives Out follows Daniel Craig‘s curious detective Benoit Blanc, as he is hired to solve the strange murder of a renowned crime novelist who died on his 85th birthday.
Featuring a stellar cast including Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, and LaKeith Stanfield, as well as some of the most detailed plot-threading in modern cinema, Knives Out is a masterful act of film craftmanship. Immersive from start to finish, there’s a reason the film spawned a beloved, ongoing franchise that is soon to debut its third entry.
‘Sherlock Holmes’ (2009)
Arthur Conan Doyle‘s iconic detective Sherlock Holmes is the perfect follow-up to The Thursday Murder Club, simply thanks to the potential that the latter wouldn’t exist without the former. Starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as the legendary crime-solving duo of Holmes and Watson, the film follows their attempts to thwart an evil scheme that threatens the safety of their entire country.
For a man known best for his role in the MCU, Downey Jr. nails it as Sherlock Holmes. Both a bruising brawler and an intellectual genius, this portrayal both oozes Doyle’s original description of the character and adds a healthy dose of Downey Jr.’s irresistible charm. Its central mystery might not be as winding as others on this list, but the story is just as entertaining.
‘Wicked Little Letters’ (2023)
From one cozy British mystery to another, The Thursday Murder Club fans are sure to love Wicked Little Letters. Reuniting following their emotionally devastating work in The Lost Daughter, Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley bring out their comedy A-game in this stranger-than-fiction true story about a social media-esque war of words taking place through the postal service of a quaint 1920s English village.
Packed with both witty and raucous humor, including an undeniably forthcoming use of the more vulgar side of the English language, Wicked Little Letters packs a great comedic punch. Add to that a pair of stellar performances from Colman and Buckley, and the fact that this is based on a true story, and a recipe for entertainment is born.
‘Enola Holmes’ (2020)
Fans of The Thursday Murder Club will likely want to try another similar mystery movie via their Netflix subscription. Look no further than Enola Holmes, the best movie role to date for young actress Millie Bobby Brown. The younger sister of Doyle’s acclaimed deerstalker-wearing detective, Enola Holmes heads on an adventure after discovering her mother is missing, stopping at nothing to solve the mystery.
A daring adventure meets sibling rivalry in this exciting family flick. Finally given the freedom to show off the best of her capabilities, Brown is both charming and effortlessly energetic, with both critics and audiences agreeing. Helped by a global pandemic keeping everyone in front of their television, let that take nothing away from the impressive estimated 76 million households that watched this movie on arrival.
‘Clue’ (1985)
Simply one of the funniest films of the 1980s, this must-see entry in Tim Curry‘s excellent filmography takes the core concept of the classic titular board game and runs with it. When six guests are strangely summoned to a looming manor on a dark, stormy night, it soon becomes clear they have been set up as their host is murdered, and the kill count continues to comically rise.
Quirky, fast-paced, and utterly unforgettable, Clue sees a stellar central cast all bouncing off of one another thanks to a superb, witty script. From Madeline Kahn to Back to the Future legend Christopher Lloyd, Clue is full to the brim with stellar performances and benefits from a behind-the-scenes team who clearly want to both pay loving homage and cheekily parody their source material.
‘Murder Mystery’ (2019)
Like a murder mystery? Why not try Murder Mystery? Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston join forces in this fun whodunnit, reuniting following the 2011 rom-com, Just Go with It. As their marriage continues to fall apart, New York cop Nick (Sandler) and his wife Audrey (Anniston) head on a European trip to try and find their spark. However, instead, they find danger as they become embroiled in a high-stakes criminal adventure.
Proudly wanting not to be taken seriously (you need only look at the on-the-nose title), Murder Mystery has all the coziness of The Thursday Murder Club with the budget of a globe-trotting crime caper. Sandler and Anniston once again have great chemistry, and lean perfectly into their new age as a fighting couple that requires extreme lengths to remind themselves of the love that hides inside them.
‘Gosford Park’ (2001)
For those who love the legacy-style casting of The Thursday Murder Club, look no further than Gosford Park for arguably the best British ensemble of the 21st century. As a bunch of wealthy visitors embark on a hunting weekend at a huge stately manor, Gosford Park follows a quick spiral into chaos, as murder strikes and a whodunnit dancing on the class spectrum erupts.
A critical darling upon release, Gosford Park even made an impact at the Academy Awards, with the 2002 Best Screenplay award going to Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, and the film also earning several other nominations. Robert Altman‘s masterful direction sees the camera never stop moving throughout, leading to a murder mystery like no other that is rightfully considered one of the best British comedies of the 21st century.
‘A Haunting in Venice’ (2023)
Is there any detective more famous than Hercule Poirot? The most recent incarnation, and a perfect next stop for The Thursday Murder Club fans, is Kenneth Branagh‘s, with A Haunting in Venice arguably the best of his installments to date. Set in post-World War II Venice, the movie follows Poirot (Branagh) as he attends a seance and is suddenly brought back out of retirement when murder strikes.
A clever adaptation of the 1969 Agatha Christie novel Hallowe’en Party, A Haunting in Venice is both a visual and narrative delight. As director and star, Branagh excels as a clear fan of Christie’s work, with this adaptation neatly paying homage to the source material and taking some well-conceived creative liberties, much like The Thursday Murder Club.
‘The Pink Panther’ (2006)
This laugh-out-loud 2006 reboot of The Pink Panther sees Steve Martin step into the shoes of the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, first made famous by original star Peter Sellers. When a famous soccer coach is murdered and the Pink Panther diamond is stolen, the maladroit Inspector Clouseau is assigned to the case under a hidden agenda. Against all odds, can he solve the puzzle?
Martin is one of the finest comedy actors of his generation, just ask fans of another of his murder mysteries, Only Murders in the Building. In The Pink Panther, Martin deftly takes over from the genius before him with a performance perfectly befitting the brilliantly silly script. From dancing word-play to a hilarious scene in which Clouseau tries to pronounce “hamburger,” The Pink Panther is simply laugh-out-loud throughout.
‘Werewolves Within’ (2021)
A list of recommendations wouldn’t be complete without an underrated gem. Based on the VR game of the same name, Werewolves Within follows Veep‘s Sam Richardson as he arrives in the sleepy town of Beaverfield in the middle of a dispute. However, their political frustrations quickly turn sour as murder comes knocking, and a shapeshifting werewolf becomes their prime suspect.
A fun, quirky mystery that blends elements of supernatural horror with a cozy crime style, Werewolves Within is a clever adaptation of a tricky source material. A refreshing take on the werewolf sub-genre, rising horror talent Josh Ruben proves his ability once again with a film that holds an impressive, “certified fresh” 86% critics’ rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
