Venice, Italy, where the film takes place. Photo Credits: Karsten Wurth on Unsplash.
Agatha Christie’s beloved mystery novels featuring Detective Hercule Poirot have long been adapted for the screen. From Austin Trevor’s take on the Poirot role in 1934 to “After the Funeral,” starring David Suchet in 2006, it has been tough to capture the quirky nature of this Belgian detective.
Kenneth Branaugh took a shot at it in 2017, directing and starring in “Murder on The Orient Express,” perhaps Christie’s most popular Poirot installment, and a very challenging one to adapt. It performed well at the box office, grossing $382 million, and received multiple awards. Branagh excelled as Poirot, fleshing out his character in a way not done before on screen. He created another Poirot movie in 2022, “Death on the Nile,” a thrilling mystery that further embellished Poirot’s character.
This September 15, Branagh returned to the big screen with “A Haunting In Venice,” and, despite being vastly different from the other two installments in Branagh’s series, it remains a thrilling mystery with enough twists and turns to give viewers whiplash.
The movie is based on Christie’s “Hallowe’en Party” and is set in post-World War II Venice, Italy. It begins with a “retired” Poirot (Kenneth Branaugh), who lives a life of routine. He tends to plants, eats pastries, and, most of all, avoids any and all mystery.
One day, he is approached by an old friend, mystery author Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), who is also featured in many of the original novels.
Oliver convinces Poirot to attend a seance, where famed medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) will be attempting to speak with Rowena Drake’s (Kelly Reilly) daughter, Alicia, who flung herself off a balcony and drowned many years ago. Poirot reluctantly attends, promising to disprove the medium’s supposed powers.
Everything begins to go south, however, when Reynolds reveals the young girl was actually murdered, and that one of the attendants of the seance is her killer.
“A Haunting in Venice” features a talented cast including Jamie Dornan, Camille Cottin, and Kyle Allen. Unlike the first two installments of Branaugh’s Poirot films, this one has a supernatural aspect, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. This lets the actors add an extra layer to their roles: the paranormal.
Spoilers Ahead!
The movie also plays around with symbolism, from the constant presence of apples to the recurring appearance of teacups and usage of honey. Branaugh expertly ties everything together and, like in every good mystery, makes viewers feel dumb for not having solved it sooner.
Branaugh is a pro at hiding details throughout the movie that one may only pick up on days later, such as the fact that the letter “M” on the typewriter during the seance stands for “Mom.”
As wonderful as the film is, there is one gaping plot hole that pulls the entire storyline into question. Jude Hill stars as Leopold, the only son of the Drake family doctor, in “A Haunting In Venice.” Despite being such a young actor, Hill shines in his role, making his truly impressive affinity for the big screen known.
At the end of the movie, it is revealed that Leopold was the one blackmailing Rowena all along, discovering she was the killer years ago after looking at his father’s notes and seeing the poison in Alicia’s blood.
However, this development calls something into question: If Leopold knew all along who the killer was, why would he stand by idly, feigning ignorance, even after seeing his father stabbed in the back as a direct result?
He proves himself to be a very compassionate and intelligent child, so it makes no logical sense that he, knowing Rowena was the killer, would not speak up and reveal that the murderer of Alicia Drake, Joyce Reynolds, and his own father—Ferrier—was standing right in front of them.
Overall, “A Haunting in Venice” has an intriguing plot, a talented cast, and featured some of Branagh’s best directing. I highly recommend it for any mystery fan, and, despite the plothole, you can still enjoy the storyline and special effects. It’s a valuable addition to Branagh’s Poirot series, and I look forward to what he does next.
Comments