“Death on the Nile” Review

Kenneth Branagh stars in “Death on the Nile” as famed detective Hercule Poirot in his second take on the character. “Death on the Nile” is a sequel to 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” both of which were directed by Branagh.

One genre that I’m glad is coming back to cinemas is the murder mystery. Between “Knives Out” and “Murder on the Orient Express,” both of these films have been successful enough to revitalize the genre. Now, “Murder on the Orient Express” has gotten a sequel and it’s even better than its predecessor. “Death on the Nile” is an incredibly entertaining film that takes the classic Agatha Christie mystery and translates it well to the big screen.

A standalone sequel to 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” the film once again stars Kenneth Branagh as famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot who is currently on holiday in Egypt. There he meets newly-weds Linnet and Simon Doyle (Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer), who fear for their safety. To ease their anxiety, Poirot accompanies them on their honeymoon on the cruise ship Karnak which sets sail along the River Nile with the Doyles’ untrustworthy wedding party. When someone is murdered on the ship, Poirot must investigate and find the killer before they strike again.

To best sum up my feelings on this film, I first have to say what I think of Kenneth Branagh’s first turn as the Belgian detective, “Murder on the Orient Express.” Overall, I thought the film was a fine take on the classic novel but I found it to be too reliant on inserting action scenes as well as inferior to the 1974 version of the story. But with the 1974 film having a cast consisting of Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman and Sean Connery and a director like Sidney Lumet, how could any film measure up to that?

Like many Agatha Christie adaptations, “Death in the Nile” has a massive ensemble cast of famed actors.

Nevertheless, when it was announced that Branagh would be returning for another round, I was relatively interested. Here, Branagh really comes into his own as director (having directed the previous installment) and manages to improve his understanding of Poirot’s mysteries. 

The pacing of “Death on the Nile” is much better and there’s less physical action in favor of traditional investigation. What makes the film so riveting is Branagh’s incredible performance as Hercule Poirot. In the books, Poirot is a peculiar man, both in looks and mannerisms, who astounds everyone by being such a great detective. Branagh’s interpretation is much more intimidating with a badass mustache while still having his peculiarities. 

If you know a murder mystery, then you know that an ensemble cast is required and “Death on the Nile” has some great actors. Besides Branagh, Gadot and Hammer, actors like Annette Benning, Russell Brand, Letitia Wright and Rose Leslie round out the suspects list. While most of the cast really works, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders feel out of place. 

They’re not awful, but something about their demeanor just didn’t feel right in this story. But I was expecting this because in nearly every Agatha Christie adaptation, with the exception of 1974’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” has some kind of casting issue for me. Maybe I’m just too much of a perfectionist when it comes to her material because of how good it is. 

What really works about the film is it’s scale. Several of Poirot’s mysteries are set in one location, in this film’s case it’s a luxury ship, and you need a filmmaker who can add a grand sense of scale to the whole thing. Kenneth Branagh is that filmmaker. From his Shakespeare film adaptations to directing “Thor,” Branagh is able to make beautiful looking films and that talent is on full display here. The film’s ship is gorgeous and it feels massive, adding to the intensity of the mystery. 

If you love murder mysteries, “Death on the Nile” will appeal to you as it did me. Between the fact that it adapts a great Agatha Christie story and that it adapts it so well, I recommend this highly. While I was interested in a sequel following the release of “Murder on the Orient Express,” now I’m demanding another one.