7 things that were changed in Thursday Murder Club film including harrowing secret

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS.

The Thursday Murder Club, the cosy crime drama based on Richard Osman's best-selling 2020 novel, has made its debut on Netflix.

The film centres around four main characters - Elizabeth Best (portrayed by Helen Mirren), Joyce Meadowcroft (Celia Imrie), Ron Ritchie (Pierce Brosnan) and Ibrahim Arif (Ben Kingsley) - as they endeavour to crack a fresh murder case.

The nearly 400-page book is brimming with tragic backstories and additional characters, some of which had to be omitted from the film due to time limitations. Director Chris Columbus recently disclosed that viewers will have the opportunity to watch a bonus short film, showcasing some "beautiful" footage that was unfortunately cut.

Here's everything you need to know about the key differences between the novel and the film.

Tony Curran's demise

In the film, Tony Curran (played by Geoff Bell), one of the investors in Coopers Chase alongside Ian Ventham (David Tennant), is the first murder victim.

Upon returning home, Tony finds his house ransacked, with papers scattered everywhere.

He spots someone descending the stairs and questions their presence in his house, before being brutally murdered.

His death unfolds differently in the book, where he is discovered dead in his kitchen without having any interaction with his killer prior to his demise.

Although the cause of death remains the same, the murder occurs so swiftly in the book that he doesn't get the chance to see or speak to his murderer.

Bernard's heartbreaking tale

In the film adaptation, Joyce is seen spending time with an unnamed man who becomes disgruntled when Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim start probing her about a cold case.

However, in the book, Joyce forms a close bond with a character named Bernard.

After losing her husband, Joyce was seeking companionship and she and Bernard would often look out for each other.

But Bernard was harbouring a dark secret about his wife Asima's death, having buried her ashes in the graveyard near Coopers Chase, against his daughter's wishes.

He left a note for Joyce confessing that he had swapped his wife's ashes with sand and bone meal for his daughter, and had secretly buried the real ashes under a bench in the graveyard.

Bernard tragically took his own life upon discovering that the bench was due to be concreted over as part of Ian Ventham's plan.

Jason Ritchie's arrest

The film also sees Ron's son and former boxer Jason Ritchie (Tom Ellis) become a prime murder suspect, leading to his arrest.

Ron, Ibrahim and Joyce visit the police station to help secure his release, where Jason reveals his alibi - he was having an affair with Ian Ventham's wife.

This storyline doesn't feature in the book, where Jason is cleared after investigators Donna De Freitas (Naomi Ackie) and Chris Hudson (Daniel Mays) visit him at the ice rink during a Dancing on Ice rehearsal.

Elizabeth's stalker

In the film adaptation, Elizabeth finds herself stalked by a mysterious man in a baseball cap while walking through a graveyard late at night.

He ominously warns her "don't wake the dead" and is later seen breaking into her flat, leaving behind a bouquet of flowers with a note bearing a final warning.

Interestingly, in the original book, there's no mention of Elizabeth having a stalker, suggesting this character was introduced solely to add a touch of drama to the cinematic version.

Missing characters

Notably absent from the film are characters Gordon and Karen Playfair.

In the novel, Gordon Playfair owns a piece of land adjacent to Coopers Chase that Ian Ventham is eager to purchase.

However, due to his dislike for Ian, Gordon refuses to sell. Ian then attempts to persuade Gordon's daughter, Karen, to convince her father to sell the land.

The group suspects that Karen might have murdered Ian Ventham, thinking she wanted her father to sell the property and that Ian was the obstacle because Gordon refused to sell to him.

Surprisingly, it is Karen who eventually identifies the real killer of Ian.

Bogdan's confession

One significant alteration in the film is Bogdan's confession to the murder of Tony Curran.

In the film, Elizabeth's husband Stephen (played by Jonathan Pryce) deduces that Bogdan is the murderer, to which Bogdan confesses.

Bogdan justifies his actions by claiming that Tony had confiscated his passport and wouldn't return it, thereby preventing him from visiting his ailing mother in Poland.

He claimed that Tony's death was an accident and he had no intention of killing him. Stephen managed to record his confession, leading to his arrest by Donna and Chris.

In the book, Bogdan does admit to Stephen that he killed Tony, but for a completely different reason - and he even manages to evade justice.

He revealed that Tony had arranged for one of Bogdan's closest friends to be murdered, prompting him to take revenge by killing Tony.

The disturbing secret of Father Mackie

Father Mackie's part in the film is relatively minor as he is only seen protesting against the demolition of the land surrounding Coopers Chase.

However, in the book, he becomes a murder suspect and ends up disclosing a distressing past to Elizabeth when she interrogates him.

He admitted that he wasn't a genuine priest, but had fallen for one of the nuns at the convent, Sister Maggie.

They attempted to keep their relationship under wraps, but when Maggie became pregnant and her secret was revealed, she tragically took her own life.

She was laid to rest in the cemetery, which is why Father Mackie was so determined not to let her remains be disturbed.

The Thursday Murder Club is on Netflix