While there is a lot of focus on real and gritty crime dramas, there is still something to love about the Agatha Christie style of murder mysteries. The Thursday Murder Club captures that style in droves, and it makes it an excellent introduction to the genre for younger viewers.
The Thursday Murder Club is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Osman. It follows a group of people in a retirement home who like to solve cold cases. Well, they end up with a very fresh murder that they want to solve, and soon enough, they end up knee deep in conspiracies and mysteries.
With an all-star cast, you know that The Thursday Murder Club is going to be good fun. We break down the age rating to see why it could be just the thing to get your kids into the genre (and show that age doesn’t have to slow people down).
The Thursday Murder Club age rating: Explaining the PG-13 movie
While the streamers tend to be in the nature of bringing TV-MA and R-rating content, that’s not the case with The Thursday Murder Club. This quirky murder mystery is officially rated PG-13, suggesting that it’s great for teens. It can also work for tweens and some younger children, but you will want to watch it with them.
Sex & nudity: There are some comedic innuendos, but that’s all when it comes to sex or nudity.
Violence & gore: This is a murder mystery, which means that people turn up dead. There is a picture of a murder victim with a large amount of blood, which is the picture that pulls the sleuths into the mystery. There are also a few characters stabbed and bludgeoned, but while violent, it’s not overly graphic or anything to be concerned about for children.
Language: At one point, a character gets a text message that says “WTF,” and we all know what the F stands for. Well, that character doesn’t know, and she asks someone else what it means, leading to the word being mentioned. This is all done in the context of a mom with a young daughter on a bus, so the fact that the word is mentioned is supposed to be shocking, but it’s used in a funny way considering the nature of the two characters discussing it.
Alcohol & drugs: Two of the main characters are seen drinking a can of gin on a bus, which is used for humor, because who will tell two retired people off for drinking cans of gin? There is one use of fentanyl to kill a character, but it’s not done in a gratuitous way.
Overall verdict: Who is The Thursday Murder Club appropriate for?
If you have teens interested in the world of crime and murder, then The Thursday Murder Club can be a great introduction. This is in the same vein as Knives Out, adding humor to the mystery, to help keep the content light.
Some younger children could enjoy it if they have a genuine interest in murder mysteries. However, this isn’t really made for them, and there is some adult content to keep in mind.
The Thursday Murder Club is now available to stream on Netflix.