About the film (courtesy of 20th Century Studios):
Set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, A Haunting in Venice is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.
Kenneth Branagh continues his love letter and commitment to the world’s bestselling author of all time, Agatha Christie. A Haunting in Venice is the third adaptation of the famed author. Following the moderate success of Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and Death on the Nile (2022), Branagh is looking to make 20th Century Studios’ days brighter while ushering a slightly darker-toned effort based on the 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party.
The signature moustache has been dusted off once again for Kenneth Branagh’s return to his beloved Hercule Poirot character, who this time is enjoying the mundane normalcies of retirement until an old friend, fellow novelist, Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), knocks on his door dangling another irresistible carrot of a case under his nose. And just like that, the quiet life was no more. A Haunting in Venice is a mystery begging to be solved.
Joining Kenneth Branagh and the aforementioned Tina Fey are Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Michelle Yeoh. Once again another ensemble cast looks to pair solid acting with a strong story, hopefully creating an experience that must be seen in theaters. One of the things that Branagh got right in his latest effort is providing a story that unfolds in under two hours. The actual runtime is 103 minutes, which makes A Haunting in Venice the shortest entry yet, by more than ten minutes!
Another big positive with A Haunting in Venice is how visually stunning it is, with beautiful cinematography of Venice, in particular just how breathtaking the landscape is. This a stark difference from the CGI-ineptness that Death on the Nile (2022) brought with it last year. The atmosphere is dark and atmospheric, and the film does a good job of creating a sense of suspense.
However, A Haunting in Venice is not without its flaws. The pacing is slow at times, and the mystery is not particularly challenging to solve. The story is a good, but not great, mystery thriller. It is a faithful adaptation of the source material, and Branagh gives a good performance as Poirot.
All in all, A Haunting in Venice is worth considering, especially if any of the past films tickled your fancy. There’s just not enough to make this a strong recommendation to call on the masses to rush to see this. This is more of a second or third choice, or possibly waiting for a matinee or even home release before checking this one out.
You can experience the next murder mystery in theaters this evening as that’s when A Haunting in Venice breaks cover. The official theatrical release date is Friday, September 15. Check it out.
