Love, lust, jealousy, heartbreak, betrayal, revenge, greed and, of course, murder are all part of the mix in this lavish, big-screen adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile featuring Kenneth Branagh in his second outing as the world’s greatest detective Hercule Poirot. The film’s set in 1937 and finds Poirot in Egypt on holiday when he runs into his trusted friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) who’s also on vacation with his mother, Euphemia (Annette Bening).
While spending time with Bouc, Poirot meets a pair of newlyweds – the elegant and incredibly rich heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) and her good-looking new husband, Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer). Linnet insists that Poirot join their wedding party which is made up of all her closest friends. However, the arrival of an uninvited guest quickly kills the mood of the event. The unwelcome addition to the party is Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), Linnet’s former best friend and Simon’s jilted lover. It seems Miss Bellefort has been stalking the couple, unable to accept that Simon no longer loves her. She’s also carrying a .22-caliber handgun in her purse.
Desperate to try and salvage her honeymoon and escape her stalker, Linnet invites her guests on board the riverboat – the S.S. Karnak – which she booked to celebrate with champagne, good food, and a trip down the Nile. Linnet also invites Poirot and seeks his guidance on the best course of action in dealing with Jacqueline. She confides in him that she doesn’t trust any of her companions with her safety, saying, “When you have money, no one is ever really your friend.”
Jacqueline boards the Karnak while everyone’s off touring the sites of the Nile. Later that night, gunshots are heard and a passenger’s wounded while another is dead from a shot to the head.
So, it’s up to the world’s greatest detective to solve the murder, which is especially difficult when the prime suspect has a solid alibi and a witness to back it up.
Poirot’s laundry list of suspects includes Linnet’s former fiancé, Dr. Windlesham (Russell Brand); Linnet’s cousin, Katchadourian (Ali Fazal); Linnet’s godmother, Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders) and her nurse, Bowers (Dawn French); Linnet’s loyal maid, Louise Borget (Rose Leslie), Bouc and his mother, the Blues singer Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo) and her manager-niece Rosalie (Letitia Wright).
Searching for the gun, looking for clues, and interrogating everyone on board one by one, Poirot slowly discovers the murder was not a sudden act of violence but in fact methodically planned.
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Death on the Nile is a sluggish and overdramatic whodunit that’s missing the suspense, mystery, intrigue, and fun of the far superior 1978 film version. It’s a stylish bore of a murder mystery that takes far too long to get to its first murder and has a star-studded ensemble cast who deliver lifeless and forgettable performances. Branagh is the exception, bringing Poirot back to life on the silver screen with an air of likeability and humor. He’s a determined, arrogant, and brilliant detective who’s still haunted by parts of his past. Branagh has made the role his own and it’s an entertaining and solid interpretation of Agatha Christie’s famous detective.
Armie Hammer is horribly miscast as Simon Doyle and has zero chemistry with either Gadot or Mackey. There’s a scene in which his character’s supposed to be overwhelmed with grief, but Hammer’s performance created chuckles and laughter from the audience at this film critic’s screening.
Gal Gadot’s best scenes in the film are opposite Branagh as she shows Linnet’s vulnerable side and true fear of what Jacqueline is capable of. It’s the only time her character comes off authentic in the film.
The set design, costumes, and production of the film are adequate but fail to impress.
Missing thrills, suspense, and intriguing characters, Branagh’s remake of Death on the Nile is a complete misfire.
GRADE: C-
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, some bloody images, and sexual material
Release Date: February 11, 2022
Running Time: 2 hours 7 minutes
