Slick and stylish like its predecessors, A Haunting in Venice is arguably the best of Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot films.
Overall Score: 10/10
Image: 20th Century Studios
Say what you will about Kenneth Branagh’s film adaptations of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, but personally, I think they’re both slick, stylish, and indisputably perfect. Furthermore, having read the respective books they were based on, I believe they would’ve made Agatha Christie herself proud.
Thus, you can probably imagine how excited I was for this year’s A Haunting in Venice. And thankfully, it ultimately lived up to and exceeded my many expectations. Furthermore, I’m happy to report that it’s arguably the best installment in the series yet.
Loosely based on Hallowe'en Party (perhaps one of Christie’s lesser-known novels), A Haunting in Venice follows a retired and reluctant Hercule Poirot as he attends a seance at an old and supposedly haunted palazzo. However, when one of the guests is found dead, it’s up to the former detective to solve the mystery thrust upon him and figure out who — or what — everyone is up against.
First of all, much like its predecessors, A Haunting in Venice features a stellar ensemble cast. But while everyone is exceptional and gets their respective moments in the spotlight, the true standouts are franchise lead Kenneth Branagh and franchise newcomer (but veteran actress) Michelle Yeoh.
Let’s start with Branagh. As always, he’s perfect as Poirot. However, I’d argue that this is the best we’ve ever seen him as the character. Yes, he’s still as charming and delightfully eccentric as ever, but throughout the film, Branagh effectively adds new layers to his portrayal of the famous fictional Belgian detective. The story of A Haunting in Venice sees Poirot begin to doubt his own senses and beliefs, and through what can only be described as a masterful performance, Branagh perfectly communicates this newfound insecurity to the audience. In other words, by using his eyes, facial expressions, and body language, Branagh deftly shows us the repetitive states of shock, fright, and disbelief that Poirot experiences. It’s unsettling to see the character so unsure of himself, and I can remember feeling quite uneasy on multiple occasions while watching the movie.
Meanwhile, Yeoh, fresh off her Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All at Once, steals every single scene she’s in and hands in the film’s most memorable performance. Whenever she’s on-screen, she gives off a commanding yet haunted presence, perfectly portraying her character’s unwavering confidence and seemingly tormented existence. Furthermore, she screams, shouts, shakes, spins wildly, and almost claws out one of her eyes. And look, I don’t know about you, but aside from being hard to pull off, I think it takes an experienced performer like Yeoh to properly and effectively sell the horror of it all. And yeah, I know this is just wishful thinking on my part, but if I could, I’d give her another Oscar just for the brilliant work that she does here.
Moving on, the writing in this movie is also quite sophisticated. It’s intricately layered and effectively haunting, and it certainly helps that this isn’t a direct adaptation of one of Agatha Christie’s books. In fact, being a loose adaptation allows the filmmakers a little leeway to experiment, do things they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do, and put their own stamp and spin on Hercule Poirot and the vastly rich world that he lives in.
Also, in addition to his acting, I think Kenneth Branagh’s directing really gets a chance to shine this time. Of course, his efforts in the previous two films were already fantastic, but here, he takes things up a notch and shows us what he’s truly capable of as a director. Throughout A Haunting in Venice, Branagh skillfully utilizes the setting, lighting, performances, and clever framing techniques to create an appropriately tense, creepy, mysterious, and spooky atmosphere. He has a real knack for horror, and I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I’d love to see him get another shot at tackling the genre.
And lastly, I’d like to briefly touch on two more of this movie’s outstanding aspects. First, the cinematography is phenomenal. The camera lingers, shakes, swirls, and captures shots and scenes from various fascinating angles. It’s an excellent mixture of different techniques, many of which feel almost artsy and as if they belonged to or come from a bygone era of filmmaking. And second, the score by Hildur Guðnadóttir is fantastic. From start to finish, Guðnadóttir masterfully weaves together a dark and eerie musical atmosphere for the film, which — much like her work in Joker — is altogether quietly unsettling.
In conclusion, A Haunting in Venice is a brilliant movie. Arguably better than its predecessors, it’s the kind of horror — or horror-inspired — film that doesn’t try to scare you just for the sake of being scary, nor is it one that tries to disgust you just for the sake of being disgusting. Instead, similar to other flicks like The Sixth Sense, Black Swan, and Nope, it uses horror as a medium to help it better tell its story. And just as importantly, it ultimately has something deep and profound to say. Anyway, if you haven’t already seen A Haunting in Venice, make sure to go and do so as soon as possible. And if all goes well and there’s enough room, you’ll hopefully see it somewhere on my Top 10 list later this year.
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