There's something very simple to say about 'Death on the Nile': if you liked 'Murder on the Orient Express', then this second Kenneth Branagh production will surely please you too. After all, it's a movie without big thrills or surprises, mainly a suspense based on genre traditions and focused only on entertaining. And it works. After all, Agatha Christie knew how to tell good mystery stories and Branagh, a classic director, brings all the charm, elegance and classic tones of the book to the cinema screen. It's hard not to pay attention to the sumptuous details in the landscapes of the Nile and Egypt, where a wedding ends badly - with relatives, friends and an ex as suspects. Even though the movie has aged badly even before its release, due to the accusations against Armie Hammer and Letitia Wright's anti-vaccine stance, 'Death on the Nile' can still be seen as a light and uncommitted entertainment, just like the Queen of Crime's books. It won't change your life, nor will it be a memorable movie. But isn't it worth it, from time to time, to just enjoy a good mystery plot?
"If you've seen one, you've seen them all," says a character at the beginning of this whodunit (a detective story subgenre focused on uncovering the identity of the killer, made popular by Agatha Christie), and the statement largely applies to 'See How They Run', a crime novel that sets out to deconstruct one of the most famous stories of the genre, Agatha Christie's play 'The Mousetrap'. The story revolves around the murder of a filmmaker (Adrien Brody), who had plans to adapt the play into a movie in 1953. As such, the story is predictable, despite poking fun at the predictability of other similar stories. However, it is very enjoyable thanks to its cast, with a standout Sam Rockwell as an apathetic detective, and a hilarious Saoirse Ronan as a gullible and bumbling agent.
Eccentric millionaire Olivia sends her half sister Agatha, and a group of old acquaintances, a mysterious invitation for a weekend on her yacht, where they will discover the true motive behind this invitation: the celebration of... a murder? Caught off-guard by an unexpected death, and with the help of a rookie policeman, Agatha will try to figure out if this is merely an accident or an elaborate plan for revenge.
Partially based on Agatha Christie's novel "The Hallowe'en Party," "A Haunting in Venice" is the third film in the Hercule Poirot detective series directed and starring Kenneth Branagh (from "Belfast"), following "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Death on the Nile." The story places us in Venice, where a retired and reclusive Poirot decides, skeptically and reluctantly, to attend a seance. However, when one of the attendees is murdered, he must return to detective work not only to uncover the murderer's identity but also to determine if something supernatural is at play. Due to this premise, "A Haunting in Venice" incorporates elements of the horror genre, elevating it beyond the typical whodunit and making it not only notably better than its two predecessors but also a surprising choice for the Halloween season.
Trap marks another dive by filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan (Split) into the world of suspense. This time, the plot tells the story of a man and his teenage daughter who attend a music concert and discover they are in the middle of a hunt for a serial killer. With a fast pace, despite a somewhat underdeveloped plot, the film manages to captivate the audience by taking them on a claustrophobic journey filled with tension.