Dec. 18, 2023

A Haunting in Venice

Kenneth Branagh's latest Hercule Poirot installment, A Haunting in Venice, departs from his signature cinematic style, delivering a chilling mystery in the iconic detective's repertoire. While deviating from Agatha Christie's original conclusion, the film showcases Michelle Yeoh's captivating performance and introduces hauntingly surreal elements. By: Wee Yan Ling

Genres: Mystery & thriller, Drama

Distributor: 20th Century Studios

https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/

Length: 103 minutes

Producer: Kenneth Branagh, Judy Hofflund, Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott

Production company: TSG Entertainment, 20th Century Studios, Scott Free Productions, Kinberg Genre, The Mark Gordon Company

Description

Kenneth Branagh's latest Hercule Poirot instalment, A Haunting in Venice, departs from his signature cinematic style, delivering a chilling mystery in the iconic detective's repertoire. While deviating from Agatha Christie's original conclusion, the film showcases Michelle Yeoh's captivating performance and introduces hauntingly surreal elements.

Kenneth Branagh is known for his cinematic flair, which is largely attributed to his unconventional angles and swivel-eyed editing. A Haunting in Venice takes a departure from the previous Poirot adaptations as it practises a more toned down approach, laying off the extensive CGI unlike past films and instead allows the narrative to take centre stage.

Retired Hercule Poirot, portrayed by Branagh, is thrusted back into the world of mysteries all thanks to his old friend, Ariadne Oliver, portrayed by Tina Fey. The challenge is brought forward to by Michelle Yeoh’s character, Ms Reynolds, who is a medium entrusted to shed light on the truth regarding the tragic suicide in Venice.

The takes a distant approach as compared to the other instalments as it does not possess the bombastic elements of Branagh’s previous Poirot tales. The immaculate and stunning production design paired with the illustrious costumes help to add to the immersive atmosphere. Despite having lesser A-listers, the wonderfully assembled cast help elevate the heightened dinner theatre to the performances. 

Despite the film’s divergence from the original conclusion from Christie’s original, Branagh’s haunted settings and off-kilter camera work embraces a nostalgic atmosphere. The unconventional visuals help to add on to the effect of the typical frights, which accentuates the disembodied lullabies and the peculiar patterns on walls to bring a feeling of eeriness.

Despite the ending not having a usual surprising moment, the mixture of mystery and spooky elements hints that there could be more interesting changes in how Branagh tells Poirot’s stories. 

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