For the third time in six years, Kenneth Branagh is taking on Agatha Christie’s iconic detective Hercule Poirot, both in front of and behind the camera. Branagh directed 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express and 2022’s Death on the Nile, playing the eccentric sleuth in both films, and now he once again pulls double duty with A Haunting in Venice. As the title indicates, this installment brings an element of horror to the extravagant mystery series, and meshing a ghost story with Poirot’s classic whodunit escapades proves difficult for Branagh as a director.
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A Haunting in Venice is adapted from Christie’s 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party, though this film is a much looser adaptation of the source material than Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green’s previous two efforts. Poirot (Branagh) begins the film in a strict, self-imposed retirement. That is, until the author that made him famous — longtime friend Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) — convinces him to join her for a Halloween Party and seance, where she wants to find out if a mysterious medium (Michelle Yeoh) is actually a con artist.
As with any Poirot story, nothing is as it seems. The house where the party is held was once an orphanage, and there is a legend in the building of dead orphans haunting its halls. The homeowner, Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly), lost her daughter one year prior, seemingly due to the spirits in the house. As Poirot contemplates his own faith in the supernatural, one of the seance’s attendees is brutally killed. He embarks on a journey not only to figure out who committed these heinous crimes, but whether or not something otherworldly could be responsible.
Like the first two Branagh-directed Agatha Christie adaptations, A Haunting in Venice wants to be an immersive experience for the viewer. The gothic architecture of Venice pulls you in from the film’s opening moments. This feels like a true ghost story right away, and the production design team knocks it out of the park with Rowena Drake’s chilling abode. From a vibe standpoint, A Haunting in Venice is firing on all cylinders from the very start, which makes Branagh’s handling of the material even more frustrating.
A ghost story and a murder mystery shouldn’t have much of a problem coexisting, but Branagh directs this film as though they’re two separate entities. When the film is only focused on its haunted elements, it’s intense and intriguing. When it’s focused on being a whodunit, it’s as entertaining as Branagh’s first two Poirot films. But for some reason, those two things can’t live together with any sort of harmony. There’s a constant whiplash from one to the other, from the tone of each scene down to the way they’re shot. At times, it feels like there are two different movies here. They’re both pretty solid, but it’s exhausting to watch them play tug-of-war.
While Branagh’s directorial efforts here feel wildly indecisive, he does get major points for his brash, unwavering confidence. He makes some head-scratching choices with the camera throughout A Haunting in Venice; some work really well, others feel off-putting (constant Dutch-angled conversations often take away from eerie moods). Either way, he’s making decisions and going all-in on them, and it’s respectable. “Safe” is the last thing you could call his decision-making process here.
Branagh’s cast is once again loaded with notable stars, all of whom play their parts exactly as well as you’d expect them to. Tina Fey is probably the most fun co-star Branagh has had in one of these. Michelle Yeoh is unsurprisingly excellent. The real star here, though, is Kelly Reilly. It’s so nice to see her doing anything that isn’t Yellowstone‘s Beth Dutton, and you’re instantly reminded just how wide a range she has. There’s such a deep sorrow and longing in her eyes, as she makes the case that she’s the perfect lead for any and all haunted house stories going forward.
Also doing some of their best work in A Haunting in Venice is Michael Green, whose best Agatha Christie script is sometimes overshadowed by Branagh’s odd directorial decisions. There are quite a few changes to Christie’s original story, most of which work very well. Without giving anything away, the final twist is especially impressive. We’re given enough closure about the cause of the murders to be satisfied with the story, but there’s still quite a bit left unanswered when it comes to supernatural elements. Poirot is on a journey throughout the film to discover what he actually believes in, a question that is asked of the viewers as well. Depending on what answer you discover, your take on the ending will vary.
That third act — where Poirot puts the pieces together and the ghosts of the past come crashing into the realities of the present — really is where A Haunting in Venice excels the most. Everything comes together for a great, unexpected ending, which makes many of the film’s earlier transgressions a lot easier to swallow.
Ending on a good note really does go a long way. A Haunting in Venice might be the most uneven and labored of Branagh’s Hercule Poirot tales, but fans of the series will leave the theater satisfied nonetheless.
Rating: 3 out of 5
A Haunting in Venice hits theaters on September 15th.
