The Thursday Murder Club ending explained: who killed Ian Ventham and Tony Curran in Netflix film?
Spoilers for The Thursday Murder Club - including who was the killer 🚨👀
- The Thursday Murder Club movie has arrived on Netflix.
- Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan lead the cast.
- But how did the film end - and who was the killer?
This article contains spoilers for The Thursday Murder Club. Don’t read further if you haven’t watched the movie.
Grab a warm drink and a blanket because it is time to join The Thursday Murder Club in the Jigsaw Room. Netflix has finally released the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the hit book.
Richard Osman’s best-selling novel has been turned into a film with a truly star-studded cast. It reunited Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan once more - after their turn in MobLand earlier in the year.
But if you have tuned in to the movie, you might be wondering how it ended. Here’s all you need to know:
What is the plot of The Thursday Murder Club?
Before we get into the business of explaining the ending and head into full spoiler territory. The synopsis on Netflix reads: “Tea and cake meet murder and mischief in this witty crime caper, which follows four senior sleuths unravelling a murder from their retirement community.”
Audiences are introduced to the titular club - Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley) and Joyce (Celia Imrie) as they attempt to solve the murder of Tony Curran. It also is a case that ties into a cold murder they have been trying to crack in the Jigsaw Room at Coopers Chase.
Who was the killer in The Thursday Murder Club?
Full spoilers for The Thursday Murder Club movie to follow. Don’t read further if you haven’t watched the movie.
Just like in the book, there are three killings that are solved before the credits roll. It starts with the death of builder and supposed defender of Coopers Chase Tony Curran.
His former business partner Ian Ventham (David Tennant) was the second to die - really putting the cat amongst the pigeons. It also ties into the ‘woman in white’ cold case the club was investigating at the start.
Elizabeth’s husband Stephen (Jonathan Pryce) manages to figure out that Bogdan, the Polish worker of Ian’s who he has been playing chess with, was the one who killed Tony. Fearing that Stephen was at risk, Liz and the police - DCI Chris and PC Donna - rush to Coopers Chase.
Bogdan is arrested but says that it was an accident and that he had only been trying to get his passport back. He also confirms that he hadn’t tried to poison Stephen because he was his friend.
However, that was not the end and Elizabeth worked out that it was John - Penny’s husband - who had killed Ian. He was a vet and had access to the drugs that dealt the fatal blow.
John took it upon himself to kill Ian, during the protest at Coopers Chase, because the businessman wanted to dig up the graveyard and turn it into luxury flats. However, Penny had a dark secret hidden in the cemetery, the bones of Peter Mercer who she had killed decades before in revenge for him murdering his girlfriend.
Unlike Bogdan, John is not arrested and instead uses the same drugs to take his and Penny’s lives. The movie ends with Ibrahim giving the eulogy at their funerals.
Joyce is made a full member of the Thursday Murder Club and her daughter Joanna is set to take over Coopers Chase. Ron and his son Jason enjoy a drink while watching West Ham, while Elizabeth and Stephen celebrate their anniversary with a dance.
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