A Haunting In Venice Movie Review
Nathan Swank
September 14th, 2023
The great detective Hercule Poirot and his magnificent mustache return in A HAUNTING IN VENICE, another sequel that I didn’t realize anyone wanted. However, the third film in the line of Agathe Christie adaptations is actually the best of the series. But that’s not saying much.
Kenneth Branagh once again directs and stars as Poirot in what clearly is a personal joy for the actor/director. Set in beautiful Venice, Italy, the production is amazing as usual. Unfortunately, Poirot’s glorious mustache continues to be less glorious as the films progress. Most of the film takes place in a spooky old mansion over the course of an evening. A heavy downpour is causing flooding through the canals making transportation in and out impossible. But the look and feel of the film, lit mostly by candles, creates a perfect vibe, to carry out many familiar horror movie tropes.
Poirot is reluctantly pulled out of retirement to attend a séance for an unexpected death of a child involving different family members, employees, and curious companions. Strange things begin to happen that on the surface seem unexplainable, but not to the logical minded Poirot. After a new murder takes place, Poirot is determined to solve the case of the killer and disprove any suspicions of supernatural play. This is where Poirot “must-ache” them all questions. I knew I could work that in.
The rest of the cast perform admirably, but are probably not properly used within the material. Michelle Yeoh shines as the proclaimed Medium and Tina Fey is trying her best to add some small humorous levity as the over-anxious author and friend to Poirot. Jamie Dornan, Camille Cottin, Kelly Reilly, Emma Laird, Ali Khan, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Jude Hill round out some of the suspects in this supernatural murder mystery.
I was quite disappointed in 2017’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, but admittedly may have had too high of hopes with the star-studded cast and original source material. I can’t even remember 2022’s DEATH ON THE NILE (did that really come out last year?). But A HAUNTING IN VENICE ups the game ever so slightly by having a ghost story element, which no matter how silly, triggers a bit of fun.
Based upon the novel “Hallowe’en Party” by Agatha Christie with a screenplay by Michael Green, A HAUNTING IN VENICE is Kenneth Branagh’s third film as the clever character. While the film looks magnificent, it never quite clicks together in full entertainment mode. A tough gig following the exceptional KNIVES OUT movies. Similar to the previous films, the energy is slightly drab without offering any fresh take on the material. The spooky element has its moments within the great setting, but ultimately is all stuff that’s been done before. I found myself predicting moments, “oh this is where this jump scare is gonna happen” or “it’s time for this character to react in a certain way.” The final conclusion, if not predictable, is unsurprising. Still, there may be just enough happening, to give A HAUNTING IN VENICE the most marginal recommendation.
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