Kenneth Branagh’s latest turn as Hercule Poirot is certainly one of the best he has been part of to date.
Suspense and supernatural are the name of the game for Kenneth Branah’s latest turn as Poirot (which once again he directs) that while reinvents the story it is based on (Hallowe’n Party), actually feels like the best one that he has released featuring the detective yet.
Set in Venice, A Haunting in Venice begins with Poirot in retirement now reluctant to take on any new cases until a friend (although he later claims he doesn’t have any friends) by the name of Ariadne Oliver (a crime novelist who claims she helped Poirot become famous) convinces him to attend a Halloween seance at a suitably creepy palazzo. The purpose of the seance is for opera singer Rowena Drake to discover what happened to her teenage daughter Alicia, long thought to have committed suicide. Also at the Seance is a variety of characters, all of whom have their own secrets and connections with the deceased. However, things take a turn with an unexpected murder which puts everyone under suspicion and asks questions of them all of what is real and what is not.
The screenplay by Michael Green is filled with intrigue, a fascinating approach to paranormal activity (that certainly provides more than a few jump scares along the way) but still retaining Agatha Christie’s approach. It might be a slow burner, but the way in which the story comes across is sharply focused, particularly when all manner of creepy things begin to happen. It is also filled with plenty of twists and turns (to be honest I didn’t see the final, final twist coming) along the way that it effectively keeps the audience guessing as to whose motive is the strongest along the way – definitely cleverly written.
To reveal too much about the plot and how it unfolds would be a crime in itself, but the way in which it has been filmed is beautifully haunting. The scenes in the palazzo are suitably erie thanks to the haunting lighting, the use of atmospheric music in a subtle way but just loud enough to keep the audience on edge – with more than one opportunity for audiences to jump, particularly given the way in which cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos has captured many of these moments with clarity and detail as things begin to escalate rapidly and beyond any of the characters could have imagined. At the start, it lulls you into a false sense of security, with many of the early shots feeling like a love letter to Venice itself, before adding a sense of horror to proceedings with flashes of the invisible Alicia or even the masked gondoliers (bringing a slight Phantom of the Opera vibe to proceedings) that make their way up the famous canals – it is suitably haunting from start to finish visually.
Meanwhile, the cast themselves have plenty to offer their characters. Michelle Yeoh as Joyce Reyonalds, the spiritualist who reveals that she knows exactly what happened to Alicia. Her performance has suitable element of mystery to it, leaving the audience uncertain as to whether she is real or a fraud. It is quietly understated and mesmerising to watch. Equally, Jamie Dornan as the traumatised Dr Ferrier is given a lot to deal with emotionally and does it with great nuance, while it is also lovely to see him reunited with Jude Hill (who also played Dornan’s son in Belfast) who once again delivers a surprisingly mature performance as the slightly unnerving Leopold and actually has a bigger part to play than first realised. Tina Fey as Ariadne Oliver is able to use her comedic powers without overshadowing the story and works extremely well with Branagh’s Poirot who seems more vulnerable than I have ever seen the character before.
Overall, A Haunting in Venice is definitely the strongest version of Kenneth Branagh’s take on Hercule Poirot so far and certainly feels compelling to watch from start to finish.
By Emma Clarendon
A Haunting in Venice is available to watch via Disney + now.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐