A Haunting in Venice

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, Kelly Reilly, Dyan Corbett-Bader, Amir El-Masry, Riccardo Scamarcio
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Horror
2023

Times Seen:
Tim: 1


Summary: Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) reluctantly attends a seance with an old friend (Tina Fey). When a murder occurs shortly after, he must find the killer before they murder again.

Review:

Tim: I'm actually a big fan of Kenneth Branagh's resurrection of Hercule Poirot. I love a good Whodunit, and he treats Agatha Christie's greatest character with love and respect. I was a huge fan of Murder on the Orient Express, although I was a bit underwhelmed by Death on the Nile. It was still a good movie, but felt too basic to me. I'm a bit surprised Branagh was able to continue the franchise with a third film. Fortunately, A Haunting in Venice is a great bounce back film. Sure, it's not as good as MotOE, but definitely better than the previous film. I really enjoyed this one.

One of the great things about Poirot and Branagh's adaptation of Christie's novels is that they each feel so unique (thus far in the trilogy, of course). A Haunting in Venice is very much a horror movie, as much as a detective mystery. The creepy atmospheric story is so different than the previous two films, even if the heart of it is still the same- Poirot solves a murder. I found the story here interesting, filled with intrigue, questions about the supernatural verses a more "natural" evil. Branagh is confident as a director with this character and he adjusts to the new feel and tone of the movie easily. It's quite impressive to see a detective film set inside a horror movie. That is a huge reason why this movie works- it differentiates itself from the previous films and keeps us interested in its unique story.

It's interesting, this film had the smallest cast and the least A-listers. That doesn't impact the quality of the film at all. Branagh delights in playing Poirot and he does such a good job bringing this unique character to life. It was extremely fun to watch him hamming it up appropriately as this character. He's intelligent, quirky, someone you can definitely root for. I liked the casting of Tina Fey, although it felt out of character. I mostly thought she did a solid job, although it definitely looked like she was holding back from cracking jokes. It was interesting for her to play this mostly serious role. It felt like a challenge to her. I don't think she gave a great performance, but it was nice to see her stretched in a different way as an actor. I loved the casting of Michelle Yeoh. She'd be welcome in any film, but she made a nice impact on the film here. She brings such gravitas to the role. I enjoyed seeing her few scenes with Branagh. Jamie Dornan was solid in his supporting role. I think he's probably a better actor than he seems and I liked the work he did here. I'm a huge fan of Kelly Reilly and I loved her casting here. She was quite effective in the role. As I talk through the cast, I have to admit that outside of Branagh, there's no standout performances. Fey, Yeoh, Dornan, and Reilly are all good- none are excellent. You always wish for great performances, but each of them delivered solid performances that didn't detract from the film.

If you're familiar with these films or Christie's novels, you basically understand the plot. The movie doesn't throw a ton of twists our way, but even my correct guesses felt a little off. The story is not exactly what you'd expect, which is helpful for a Whodunit. I thought the ending was really strong, with a nice touch of ambiguity thrown in. Branagh keeps the film focused on the cast and it's enjoyable to watch these actors interacting with each other. The visuals were impressive here, too. The atmosphere is creepy and the visuals absolutely add to that feeling. The movie is never truly scary, but it feels just a bit unsettling, which is perfect for the story.

I really enjoyed A Haunting in Venice. It got pretty good reviews from critics and it represented a fun time at the movies. It was admittedly the least successful film at the box office, although it was just $3 million behind the previous film at the domestic box office. It was a bit lower worldwide, unfortunately. This could spell the end of Branagh's run at this character, but I sincerely hope this film did well enough for him to continue it. I'd happily watch many more of these movies.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, The Exorcism of Emily Rose