After six delays, Death on the Nile was finally released on Feb. 11, 2022. The film, based on Agatha Christie’s classic novel—initially set to come out on Dec. 20, 2019—arrived in theaters last month, grossing over $100 million compared to the production budget of $90 million. Kenneth Branagh makes a comeback as the director and actor of the world’s beloved detective Hercule Poirot. Though a sequel to the 2017 Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile features an almost entirely new cast, including Annette Bening, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer and more.
The film opens with a dramatic black-and-white flashback. Young Poirot devises a clever plan to help his team reclaim land during World War I, an intelligent act that shows his brightness and wit blossoming from an early age. This scene not only reveals the origin of his iconic mustache but exposes key details of a short-lived romance that shaped his straightforward personality and tendency to shut out emotions.
Fast-forwarding years later to 1937, Poirot finds himself in Egypt accompanying newlyweds Simon Doyle and Linnet Ridgeway on their honeymoon trip, along with various family and friends. After Linnet is found dead in her bed aboard the cruise ship S.S. Karnak, Poirot’s detective skills are put to the test. The audience follows along as he interrogates the guests and unravels possible motives. Keeping watchers engaged is crucial for every “whodunnit” film, and Branagh does not disappoint. Viewers are on their toes the entire movie, searching for clues, shaking after every twist and turn, and striving to solve the mystery before Poirot does.
While the plot does move a bit slow during the first hour or so, things pick up quickly after the first death. Branagh does an excellent job of developing the characters. Dialogue between the characters and their reactions to the events following Linnet’s death reveal and further develop the characters’ personalities. Every role is performed carefully by a well-fitting actor and has a unique backstory, with a potential reason for murdering Linnet.
Despite its classic mystery movie elements, Death on the Nile has received both positive and negative feedback. Many Agatha Christie fans were not thrilled with this movie adaptation, believing it strayed too far from the original plotline and did not do justice to her book. New viewers, however, have focused more on the technical elements. Although the movie was mainly set in Egypt, filming took place entirely in England. The visual effects team did a fantastic job of replicating the majestic Egyptian pyramids and gorgeous Nile River views, leaving viewers shocked to discover that every landscape shot was created by CGI.
If you were expecting a word-for-word reenactment of Christie’s novel, Death on the Nile may not be for you. But if you want to settle down on the couch with friends and a big bucket of popcorn, this movie is the way to go. With its breathtaking views and incessant plot twists, it is no surprise that Branagh’s second movie gives its prequel competition for the role of the best Hercule Poirot film.
Article by Sahana Thyagarajan of Walt Whitman High School
Photo courtesy of IMDb