Death on the Nile

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Letitia Wright, Sophie Okonedo, Tom Bateman, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Ali Fazal

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Based on the novel "Death on the Nile" by Agatha Christie

After running into his friend Bouc (Bateman) in Egypt, famed detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh) finds himself tagging along for the honeymoon celebration of Simon Doyle (Hammer) and Linnet Ridgeway (Gadot). The revelry is cut short when Jacqueline de Bellefort (Mackey) unexpectedly arrives, which puts both Simon and Linnet in a state of worry, since six weeks prior Simon was engaged to Jacqueline and left her for Linnet. Instead of going home and cutting their honeymoon short, Simon decides to take the party to the open waters and rents a boat that will take the guests down the Nile. Soon someone is murdered and it becomes clear that someone at the party is the culprit.

Hearing that a movie has been delayed comes with the stigma that the finished product will be of low quality, regardless of the real reason. Death on the Nile has been delayed twice since its original scheduled release date in 2020, with one of those delays coming at the hands of the pandemic. The other came on the heels of one of the film's major stars being embroiled in a bit of controversy.

In the end, the delays are understandable and don't speak to the quality on display here. Much like he did with his adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express in 2017, Branagh displays a sure hand not only with his portrayal of the famed detective Poirot in front of the camera, but also his knowledge and love of murder mysteries behind the camera. With gorgeous, sweeping shots of Egypt interspersed with the happenings on the boat, Branagh gives the audience a sumptuous mystery to sink their teeth into. And despite his love of Dutch Angles once again coming to the forefront, I'd wager this is a much better production than Murder on the Orient Express.

Backing this wager of mine is the fact that he dives into Poirot as a character in a very satisfying way. Beginning with the origin story of his mustache that I didn't know I needed and ending with a surprisingly emotional reveal of the killer, Poirot is given a depth and humanity that only helps to strengthen Branagh's portrayal. Without this, I don't think the movie would have worked as well as it did.

The mystery at hand is a decent one. I had not read the book prior to seeing the film and I was able to guess the reveal pretty early on in the film. That does not stop the numerous and well placed red herrings from keeping mystery enthusiasts entertained.

It's really hard to talk about the acting in a murder mystery because it could tip the film's hand at the reveal. I've already spoken at length about how good Branagh is in the film and I stand by that. This wouldn't work without him in the lead role. The other actors, some of which have had some troubling times during the pandemic, are all great at filling out their roles and feeding into the mystery.

With a surprisingly engrossing mystery and a fun examination of Poirot as a character, I hope Branagh can continue bringing Christie's famed detective to the big screen.

Grade: A-