Kenneth Branagh returns as the legendary Hercule Poirot in his third Agatha Christie adaptation, A Haunting in Venice, just in time for spooky season. Just as in his previous outings as Poirot, Branagh directs, with a screenplay by Michael Green.
Poirot has retired to Venice, where his friend, mystery author Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fay) convinces him to attend a seance at the palazzo of former opera singer Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly.) Drake hopes to contact her daughter Alicia, who is believed to have committed suicide after a broken engagement.
The majority of the film takes place on Halloween, during a very on-the-nose “dark and stormy night.” The attendees of the seance are trapped in the palazzo thanks to the storm, when a death after the seance pulls Poirot out of retirement to find the killer.
After the last Poirot film, Death on the Nile, contained a distractingly large number of “problematic” actors, it was a lovely change of pace to have an ensemble cast who all delivered excellent performances, without outside distractions. A standout was Michelle Yeoh’s turn as war nurse turned medium Joyce Reynolds. Her possession during the seance was both enthralling and terrifying.
A Haunting in Venice follows the classic Christie mystery formula of red herrings, hidden motives, and overly entangled relationships. Don’t waste time attempting to solve the mystery, just enjoy the ride.
Even though the majority of the film takes place inside the palazzo, Venice still shines as the backdrop for the film. From the glorious architecture, storm-swollen canals, and masked gondoliers, A Haunting in Venice could still serve as a vacation bureau promotion.
Branagh delivers just enough jump scares to justify calling the film a thriller, without going out of his way to terrify you. Instead, the focus is on creating a suspenseful and eerie ambiance that heightens the storytelling. If you love mysteries and atmospheric horror films, A Haunting in Venice proves itself to be a wonderful Halloween treat.
A Haunting in Venice is in theaters now.
About A Haunting in Venice
Rating: PG-13 (Some Strong Violence|Disturbing Images|Thematic Elements)
Runtime: 1h 43m