Movie Review: A Haunting In Venice

Kenneth Branagh's Latest Adaptation Of The Works Of Agatha Christie

OMITI will never contain spoilers, so read on and enjoy.

Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios

A Haunting In Venice (Rated PG-13. Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes, currently in theaters.)

Kenneth Branagh loves a good mystery. In his third feature length film as the legendary detective Hercule Poirot from Agatha Christie’s novels, Branagh, with his breadth and depth of the mystery genre, strengthens his film series with a locked house whodunnit set in Venice, Italy, a city synonymous with mystery and intrigue.

As with the previous two films, Branagh sits in the director’s chair in the newest adaptation of one of Christie’s lesser known Poirot mysteries entitled Hallowe’en Party. In their third collaboration, Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green roll with a far looser interpretation of Christie’s novel, which is in sync with the decision for an entirely new title for the film as opposed to the name of her book. In many ways, this creative decision of picking a lesser known Christie mystery gives Green and Branagh room for a broader elucidation of the material, and delivers clever plot twists with nuances that steer audiences around blind corners toward unexpected surprises.

Branagh and Green excel in their signature art of misdirection with this latest addition to the Poirot film collection. However, the movie owes much of its success to the immersive atmospheric cinematography of Haris Zambarloukos and the breathtaking city of Venice itself.

Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Director and fellow mystery lover Rian Johnson, Branagh’s contemporary in the murder mystery genre revival, prefers Peter Ustinov as his Poirot with a more comedic slant; however, I’m eternally partial to David Suchet, who truly embodied the legendary detective, so embracing Kenneth Branagh has been a bit of a challenge for me. Although, that being said, Branagh is a close second to Suchet, and I appreciate Branagh bringing Agatha Christie’s timeless works back to the big screen.

Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios

The role of Ariadne Oliver for Tina Fey (a mystery buff comic who makes regular appearances in Only Murders In The Building) must be a dream come true, knowing Agatha Christie eventually inserted herself into Poirot’s cases as his sidekick, replacing Captain Hastings. Tina Fey as Ariadne Oliver as Agatha Christie, a surprise for certain! Fey as Oliver is initially very distracting, but soon into the second act there’s a flow with banter and humor between the two that transforms her into the ideal assistant and counterpoint. The characters of Ariadne Oliver and the medium, Mrs. Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) become the Mulder to Poirot’s Scully, which is a fun sight to see indeed.

A Haunting in Venice is exemplary escapism in the form of a rebranded version of an old story. To that end, here’s hoping the next Christie mystery we revisit is equally if not more clever than this one, with intentional nods and Easter eggs for lifelong, dedicated mystery lovers who continually wish for better stories, gripping characters and heightened suspense in the form of whodunits.

🔍🔍🔍🔍 out of five magnifying glasses

After You Watch:

The official Agatha Christie website:

https://www.agathachristie.com

Song of the Day - “Haunt” by Hildut Guonadottir