Considering the chaotic state the world is in, there is something to be said for this kind of film — a nice little movie that supplies a welcome pick-me-up

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The Thursday Murder Club, directed by Chris Columbus. Streaming on Netflix

For lack of a better term, The Thursday Murder Club is as my stepmother would describe it, a nice movie. There are plenty of murders, but we never see them on-screen. What we do see is senior citizens solving mysteries in a beautiful English manor while eating delicious cakes. Bumbling police officers struggle to comprehend what’s going on, with the exception of the young whipper-snapper. And all the homicidal doings are generally tied up in a nice bow at the end. It’s the ideal movie for families wondering what to watch at Thanksgiving — once everyone has dropped into a food coma.

Whether or not the film captures the spirit of the novel it’s based on is unclear. I have not read Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club, part of a series that has now sold over a million copies. Some critics claim the film version falls short; the movie has been called lame, flimsy, and obvious. I’ll treat The Thursday Murder Club as a standalone film and leave it up to fans of the books to judge how well it captures the spirit of the novel.

The story follows three friends living in an idyllic English retirement home as they try to solve unsolvable mysteries. For Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), and Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), knitting circles are so passé; mulling over grisly murder photos is a lot more fun. The three are later joined by new resident Joyce (Celia Imrie) who, as a former nurse, is not fazed by disturbing murder photos. And, as an added bonus, she also likes to bake! The four are soon given an instance of real skullduggery to solve when one of the co-owners of the retirement home is mysteriously murdered. On top of that, the other co-owner, played by David Tennant, announces that he wants to tear down their home and turn it into flats. It’s up to the quartet to solve the mystery and save their home — with enough time left for afternoon tea and cake.

On the positive side, The Thursday Murder Club is a gorgeous film. At times, I wished I were old enough to live at the sprawling chateau and wander over the emerald hills. It’s a shame that the film wasn’t released in theaters because such splendid cinematography deserves to be seen on the big screen. And, while the crux of the plot deals with solving a murder, The Thursday Murder Club doesn’t shy away from the realities of aging. Elizabeth’s husband is struggling with dementia; Joyce feels ignored by her daughter. That said, the film also serves up an idealized version of aging. The retirement home where the residents live is akin to an adult version of Hogwarts (minus the battles with Voldemort). They eat delicious food, take archery classes, and, as Ibrahim describes it, can stay in their apartment when they want to be alone and go outside when they want to be with people. I am not sure if this is true in the novel, but this may be the source of some of the complaints about the film. No wonder the residents want to fight so hard for this place; who wouldn’t want to live in an old people’s paradise? One or two things to harshen their cozy reality could have been added, like the food not being so great (they are in England after all).

It should not be surprising that the accomplished leads offer wonderful performances. Mirren has a delightful glint in her eye, while Brosnan has fun playing a goofy dad, a role he hasn’t had many opportunities to take a crack at. Brosnan hasn’t had this much fun since Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

An Agatha Christie whodunit without the bite, The Thursday Murder Club is content to be a cheery little romp. It’s not about a quartet of dotty detectives soured by the tawdriness of the world or overwhelmed by the misery of getting older. Considering the chaotic state the world is in, there is something to be said for this kind of film — a nice little movie that supplies a welcome pick-me-up.