A Haunting in Venice (2023)

I have been a huge fan of Kenneth Branagh’s version of Poirot since the first film. Murder on the Orient Express is a great film that is stunning to look at (more of that later). Death on the Nile was ok but I think it was hurt by some of the cast being a distraction for different reasons. I was looking forward to this film because it was based on a Agatha Christie story I wasn't aware of and the trailers made it look interesting. It’s also worth pointing out that I saw this at Showcase Cinema’s XPlus screening and I was the only person there. From times to time, seeing a film at the beginning of the day on Saturday does yield this result. I think the last time this happened was when I went to see Babylon.

The set up of the film that it is 1947 and Poirot is now retired but people keep trying to get him back into the investigating game but it is Tina Fey’s Ariadne that convinces him to attend a party where at the end of it a seance is going to occur and Ariadne wants Poirot to either debunk medium  Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) or support her. It’s a this stage that it seems like this is going to be a different type of Poirot story but then Reynolds is killed and then Dr Leslie Ferrier (Jamie Dorian) is killed and this is where this film starts to feel like a traditional Poirot movie/story.

There are many things I like about this film. Firstly its a great story that appeared in the trailer to have a supernatural vibe to it and that vibe is in the plot but it is explained away in such a manner that it feels like it doesn't betray the film. Poirot is seeing and hearing things not because he believes in them and has betrayed his regimental way of thinking but it is in fact because he has been drugged. There are multiple mysteries, what happened to the daughter as well as the deaths and the supernatural angle and yet the film deals with them in a good way and everything is wrapped up in a nice little bow by the time the film ends.

The performances are all really good. Kenneth Branagh is great as Poirot and whilst his moustache isn’t as over the top as it was in Orient Express, its still part of his character and Branagh clearly enjoys playing him. Hopefully there will be more films in the future. Tina Fey is rather good as effectively the sidekick although her motives aren’t always the most helpful to Poirot and it feels like she has let Poirot down by the end of the movie. I haven’t seen many Tina Fey performances but this has to be one of the better ones. Jamie Dorian is very good as the mentally broken Ferrier. He has some lovely moments with his son Leo (played by Jude Hill). Michelle Yeoh was clearly the big name of the supporting cast having won her Oscar earlier this year and she was also very good in this but I would have liked her to be in it more. The rest of the supporting cast is very good and there isn’t really a weak performance.

Another thing I liked about this film was how beautiful it looked. Despite it taking place largely at night, the film looks stunning. It looks as stunning as Murder on the Orient Express. I don’t remember Death on the Nile looking stunning and in fact thought it looked a bit cheap but every shot in the film looks stunning. The singular setting is used well because despite largely taking place in the one house, it's so big that it can move into several huge rooms and yet feel like they are isolated. The resolution of the murders was also creative and I thought that the clues dropped into the story were well done and it all added up to make for a satisfying conclusion

After the (ever so slightly) disappointing Death on the Nile, it feels like a return to form for Poirot. There is potential for many more Poirot films with Kenneth Branagh at the helm and he directs these films with a style that might seem striking at first but seems confident and the pace is kept at a steady pace so it never feels like it plodding along and I was never bored. Very much in my top 10 of the year so far.