A Haunting in Venice

The one thing a good whodunnit should not do is put its audience to sleep. Unfortunately, this latest cinematic adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel fails miserably on this score. Director Kenneth Branagh’s third outing as Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is a protracted snooze that leaves viewers caring little about the characters and even less about the story in which they’re trapped. When the famed detective (Branagh) – now in retirement in Venice – is called upon by a friend and author of mur…

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.firstshowing.net/2023/review-kenneth-branaghs-a-haunting-in-venice-is-quite-the-horror-mystery/ "A Haunting in Venice is, by some margin, the best adaptation of the now trilogy featuring Hercule Poirot, correcting many of the mistakes of the past and utilizing Kenneth Branagh's innate talent as both filmmaker and actor to stand out as a darker, more atmospheric film. Exceptional performances, suspenseful sequences with intense build-ups, and a couple …

CinemaSerf

September 20, 2023

6/10

Unlike his other two Christie adaptations featuring this character, this film does not have a previous, star-studded, version with which to compare. That's a good thing because this is certainly not one of the author's stronger stories. "Poirot" (Sir Kenneth Branagh) has retired to a sort of self-imposed exile in Venice where he sees nobody but the pastry chef. The arrival of fellow writer "Ariadne" (Tina Fey) teases what's left of his little grey cells and takes them to an old palazzo where the…

RobMcJ

November 6, 2023

6/10

While Kenneth Branagh is not our favourite Poirot, we like seeing Agatha Christie tales on the big screen. (We want to encourage more murder mysteries to be made.) Much improved over Death on the Nile, this one gives us interesting establishing shots of the titular Venice before we get to the haunted Pallazo where the majority of the film takes place. Michelle Yeoh was the highlight of the familiar faces populating this one. Tina Fey was an odd choice as the comic relief in a period film. We …

Another take on Agatha Christie's books, this one takes the "Hallowe'en Party" (1969), into the screen on a loose adaptation. Again Kenneth Branagh leads on the direction and main role (the belgian detective Hercule Poirot), while on his retirement in Venice, in post-war Venice, 1947. The screenplay is by Agatha Christie (obviously) and Michael Green (Blue Eyed Samurai, Blade Runner 2049, Logan, and the previous two movies of this series "The Murder on the Orient Express - 2017, and Death i…

#AHauntingInVenice #MovieReview This film initially presents itself as a horror movie but unfolds more as a murder mystery, deviating from the expectations set by its promotional material. It shares similarities with other movies starring the same actor in a recurring character role, resembling a continuation of a franchise with a different name. While the first two movies were decent, this one falls into the same category. It doesn't quite captivate or hold your attention throughout. The …